Why is there so much resistance to the eternal security of the believer?

[Malachi]

The eternal security of the believer is a fundamental Bible truth (1 Jn 5:13). Yet there is considerable resistance to this doctrine in many quarters, and at the same time many believers who really don't know the Scriptures are uncertain about something which should be absolutely certain. So why is there so much resistance? I believe there are at least two reasons, and perhaps you might find that there are several others.

The first reason in my esitmation is the opposition of the archenemy of God and of the Christian. Satan does not want anyone to know -- without the shadow of a doubt -- that their salvation is eternally secure.

The second reason is that Gospel Truth is not being preached and taught as it ought to be (in all its fulness), babes in Christ are not being discipled as they ought to be, and too many believers do not really understand their position in Christ. The point of this thread is to determine whether we clearly understand our position in Christ.

 

[WIP]

Make a point pursuant to the forum guidelines please.

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[Jethro Bodine]

The first reason in my esitmation is the opposition of the archenemy of God and of the Christian. Satan does not want anyone to know -- without the shadow of a doubt -- that their salvation is eternally secure.

Surely Satan does not want us to know that faith is the security of our salvation:

"5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." (1 Peter 1:5 NASB)

He wants everyone of us who believes to stop believing, so we will no longer have access to God's protection for our salvation through that faith.

The second reason is that Gospel Truth is not being preached and taught as it ought to be (in all its fulness), babes in Christ are not being discipled as they ought to be, and too many believers do not really understand their position in Christ.

I'm confident that the vast majority of Protestant Christians are very well indoctrinated in OSAS.

If anybody is uneducated about anything it's OSAS Christians not knowing what the non-OSAS argument really is. They think it's an argument for works being that which justifies the believer, not knowing it's an argument for faith, and a continuing faith that lasts to the end.

 

[DWJL511]

Malachi, I believe a third reason is control—some teachers and preachers of the Word teach OSNAS so that they can keep their congregation under their thumb—fearful, insecure and dependent on their leaders to know what to do to maintain or keep their salvation. (Many cults function this way.) The more sincere ones are just afraid that teaching OSAS will cause their congregations members to leave church and sin like there's no tomorrow. This opposite is true, though.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

The more sincere ones are just afraid that teaching OSAS will cause their congregations members to leave church and sin like there's no tomorrow. This opposite is true, though.

Explain how telling people that it is by their faith that they have God's protection for salvation that makes them sin more:

"5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." (1 Peter 1:5 NASB)

Simple observation shows that OSAS has made the church the dead faith believers James warns about. It would be impossible for me to count how many people have told me they believe the faith that does not transform a person into a person who does righteous things is still the faith that saves, because as they say, salvation has nothing to do with works whatsoever. Some even go so far as to say you can become an unbeliever and you are still saved because salvation is so utterly not of works, not knowing that the faith that justifies all by itself is the faith that works.

 

[Obadiah]

The subject of this thread is why there is so much resistance to the eternal security of the believer, not whether OSAS or NON-OSAS is the correct doctrine. Do not turn this thread into yet another fight over OSAS vs non-OSAS. There's already been enough of that with nothing new to add to it. And remember , the guidelines of this forum are enforceable rules, such as the requirement to base posts on cited scripture. If people want to discuss topics without the requirement of citing the scripture their ideas are based on we have other forums for that.

 

[th1b.taylor]

The reason, as I see it, is the open disrespect for the Great Commision ody in the found in Matthjew 28:18-20. Far to many come into the Church and then go into hiding. When I went to work in the Houston Division of Nippon Express there were two Christians there and one of them a Sunday School Teacher and until I converted nobody in that location talking to the Japanese about Jesus.

Soon after my conversion the COO at our location rode with me to a customer's location. It took us better than four hours to arrive there and being the driver, the radio was mine. I kept it on a Christian station all the way there and when a point would come up, we diswcussed it. That day, Mr. Ninigawa converted from Budda to Christ, ruining his chances for ever advancing in the Company any further than he had to that point and after that the Japanese in the office and on the Packing and Moving Teams were eard telling new, four year imports, that if they did not want to hear about Jesus, not to talk to Bill Taylor.

Thjere are to many Lone Ranger Christians (there is no such thing) hiding in the Church and the Saved have been, over, influenced by them and their desire to not be called that nasty name, a Radical Christian. Too many are influenced by these folks and they do not study, some not at all.

 

[DWJL511]

It still amazes me after all these years that there are actually Christians who want to live their whole lives not being sure if they are actually saved or if they will eventually make it to heaven. Worse, they get angry with those who have solid assurance of salvation and try to make them insecure in their salvation. I work for a ministry and I have read one too many testimonies of Christians whose lives were miserable and defeated because they were taught that they could lose their salvation and were never sure if they were really saved.

 

[Malachi]

Surely Satan does not want us to know that faith is the security of our salvation: "5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." (1 Peter 1:5 NASB)

This statement -- "faith is the security of our salvation" -- is also one of the reasons why there is resistance to the doctrine of eternal security. There are many Christians who believe that it is their faith and/or their good works which keeps them saved.

But the quotation from 1 Peter shows us that it is THE POWER OF GOD which keeps us safe and saved. We simply believe it. If we would keep our focus (1) on the Lord Jesus Christ, (2) on His perfect finished work of redemption, and (3) on the power of God Himself, then we could not possibly doubt that we are eternally secure.

It is all God's work and we are simply to believe it. As long as Peter kept his focus on Christ he walked on water. When his focus changed, he became fearful. That is an illustration of where the focus should be.

 

[Malachi]

If we were to examine the meaning of "faith" we would see that there is nothing supernatural about it. Faith is simply believing and trusting. And saving faith is simply believing on the Person of Christ and His Finished Work of Redemption, and trusting that He will save us by His grace, and keep us saved by His power.

It is best illustrated by the account of the Brazen Serpent -- the serpent of brass which represents Sin, and how Christ was made Sin for us (Jn 3:14,15) -- which Moses was commanded to set up in the wilderness. Those who looked upon it were safe. That's all they did. They simply gazed upon it (Num 21:5-9):

5And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
6And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
7Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
8And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
9And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

 

[Malachi]

Malachi, I believe a third reason is control—some teachers and preachers of the Word teach OSNAS so that they can keep their congregation under their thumb—fearful, insecure and dependent on their leaders to know what to do to maintain or keep their salvation. (Many cults function this way.) The more sincere ones are just afraid that teaching OSAS will cause their congregations members to leave church and sin like there's no tomorrow. This opposite is true, though.

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[Deborah13]

I believe this is prophecy of Jesus' ministry and administration of the the new wine of the new covenant. How He keeps those who are weak in faith and shows them their judgement of themselves, and His is power to keep them, is wrong. He shows them the truth about their salvation and position in Him.
Isa 42:2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
Isa 42:3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
No one will ever be able to convince me of anything different. My own life is a witness to this verse. I was the bruised reed and the one who's flame was but a spark that only gave off smoke.
He judged me and my beliefs and showed me the truth of His power. He blew His Holy Spirit on my smoking flax, so that it would once again become a flame to burn brightly.

 

[Christ_empowered]

I wasn't saved by OSAS people...I was saved by the Pentecostals at TC. I'm leaning towards OSAS because I've been reading The Bible on my own and...honestly...it takes a while to de-program after something like that, lol.

Don't forget that a lot of people aren't raised OSAS. Also, I think deep down its a hard concept to grasp...I mean, marriages break up, people get fired from jobs, bad things happen; how and why is salvation secure? See what I'm saying?

 

[Butch5]

The eternal security of the believer is a fundamental Bible truth (1 Jn 5:13). Yet there is considerable resistance to this doctrine in many quarters, and at the same time many believers who really don't know the Scriptures are uncertain about something which should be absolutely certain. So why is there so much resistance? I believe there are at least two reasons, and perhaps you might find that there are several others.

The first reason in my esitmation is the opposition of the archenemy of God and of the Christian. Satan does not want anyone to know -- without the shadow of a doubt -- that their salvation is eternally secure.

The second reason is that Gospel Truth is not being preached and taught as it ought to be (in all its fulness), babes in Christ are not being discipled as they ought to be, and too many believers do not really understand their position in Christ. The point of this thread is to determine whether we clearly understand our position in Christ.

When you say eternal security of the believer are you suggesting that a believer cannot turn away? Are you suggesting that one who believes to the end will be saved?

I believe that is one continues to believe until the end they will be saved. However, I don't believe that it is impossible for a believer to turn away from the faith.

 

[Butch5]

This statement -- "faith is the security of our salvation" -- is also one of the reasons why there is resistance to the doctrine of eternal security. There are many Christians who believe that it is their faith and/or their good works which keeps them saved.

But the quotation from 1 Peter shows us that it is THE POWER OF GOD which keeps us safe and saved. We simply believe it. If we would keep our focus (1) on the Lord Jesus Christ, (2) on His perfect finished work of redemption, and (3) on the power of God Himself, then we could not possibly doubt that we are eternally secure.

It is all God's work and we are simply to believe it. As long as Peter kept his focus on Christ he walked on water. When his focus changed, he became fearful. That is an illustration of where the focus should be.

I have to disagree that it is all God's work. Jesus Himself told His disciples to strive to enter in.

23 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,
24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. (Luk 13:23-24 KJV)

 

[Stan1953]

The eternal security of the believer is a fundamental Bible truth (1 Jn 5:13). Yet there is considerable resistance to this doctrine in many quarters, and at the same time many believers who really don't know the Scriptures are uncertain about something which should be absolutely certain. So why is there so much resistance? I believe there are at least two reasons, and perhaps you might find that there are several others.
The first reason in my esitmation is the opposition of the archenemy of God and of the Christian. Satan does not want anyone to know -- without the shadow of a doubt -- that their salvation is eternally secure.
The second reason is that Gospel Truth is not being preached and taught as it ought to be (in all its fulness), babes in Christ are not being discipled as they ought to be, and too many believers do not really understand their position in Christ. The point of this thread is to determine whether we clearly understand our position in Christ.

What security EXACTLY is being resisted? Rom 8:38-39 (NIV) or some other issue?
1 John 5:13 (NIV), IN context, refers to EVERYTHING John wrote in this whole letter. It says nothing about 'eternal security'.
That is a catch phrase for RT.

 

[Malachi]

What security EXACTLY is being resisted? Rom 8:38-39 (NIV) or some other issue?
1 John 5:13 (NIV), IN context, refers to EVERYTHING John wrote in this whole letter. It says nothing about 'eternal security'.
That is a catch phrase for RT.

Stan,
Define "eternal life". Then define who secured eternal life for us. Then determine whether eternal life is not eternal security. If you don't care for the word "security" what word would you use? As to context, we need to include the teaching on election and predestination, not accordng to RT but according to Scripture.

 

[Deborah13]

24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. (Luk 13:23-24 KJV)

If they never entered the strait gate, they were never saved.
The strait gate is the gate to kingdom of God, which has already come.
One cannot enter the strait gate after they are dead, it is too late. Some will find the gate and enter in. You must be born again.
Like Bunyan said, one cannot jump the hedge or fence, they must use the strait gate.
We are already His flock, grazing in the safety of His green pastures.
Psa 23:1 A Psalm of David. Yehovah is my shepherd, I do not lack,
Psa 23:2 In pastures of tender grass He causeth me to lie down, By quiet waters He doth lead me.

The kingdom of God has come....
Mat 11:11 Verily I say to you, there hath not risen, among those born of women, a greater than John the Baptist, but he who is least in the reign of the heavens is greater than he.
Mat 11:12 `And, from the days of John the Baptist till now, the reign of the heavens doth suffer violence, and violent men do take it by force,
Mat 11:13 for all the prophets and the law till John did prophesy,
Mat 11:14 and if ye are willing to receive it , he is Elijah who was about to come;
Mat 11:15 he who is having ears to hear--let him hear.

There are only two kingdoms, the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness. Every person lives in one or the other.

 

[WIP]

Considering eternal security how does one reconcile it with text like this.

2 Peter 2:18-22 NKJV
Note: The "they" he speaks of in the first few verses are false teachers.
18 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error.
19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.
20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.
21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.
22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”

 

[JLB]

The eternal security of the believer is a fundamental Bible truth (1 Jn 5:13). Yet there is considerable resistance to this doctrine in many quarters, and at the same time many believers who really don't know the Scriptures are uncertain about something which should be absolutely certain. So why is there so much resistance? I believe there are at least two reasons, and perhaps you might find that there are several others.

The first reason in my esitmation is the opposition of the archenemy of God and of the Christian. Satan does not want anyone to know -- without the shadow of a doubt -- that their salvation is eternally secure.

The second reason is that Gospel Truth is not being preached and taught as it ought to be (in all its fulness), babes in Christ are not being discipled as they ought to be, and too many believers do not really understand their position in Christ. The point of this thread is to determine whether we clearly understand our position in Christ.

I think the misunderstanding, about the eternal security of the believer, is because there is so much unbalanced teaching about the subject.

The new believer should be fully immersed in his or her eternal security, with such scriptures as:

I will never leave you, or forsake you.

I will be with you always, even unto the end of the age.

nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:39

This is the milk that growing babies need.

Just as true, is the fact that adults, need meat, and sometimes they need to be reminded that those who live an unrighteous lifestyle, will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Believers, can be encouraged that they need to continue to believe steadfast to the end, in order to be secure.

And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. Mark 13:13

I see no provision of eternal security for unbelievers, nor for the unrighteous.

If you have some scriptures that teach us, the Lord's Covenant people can live an ungodly or unrighteous lifestyle and still be saved, then please share them with us, so we can all learn from them.


If you have some scriptures that teach us, the Lord's Covenant people can depart from Him in unbelief, and still be saved, then please share them with us, so we can all learn from them.

Paul said it this way -

..."The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity."
2 Timothy 2:19



JLB