I chose the image, above, because it incorporates the word "Unconditional," in the title. I believe the entire debate can be summed up ~ as well as it can be resolved, by reckoning with the question of conditionality. No sincere Christian will deny that the Bible leads us to believe that the Salvation which God has provided to individuals, in and through Jesus Christ, is intended to give us great peace of mind, with respect to the eternal well-being of our soul. But does the Bible also affirm that "Salvation" is "unconditional"?
Has God unconditionally guaranteed Salvation, to anyone? To suppose that "eternal security" (OSAS) is unconditional, can only be true in the case that "Salvation" is unconditional. For, "eternal security" (OSAS) is not anything different from "Salvation," but "eternal security" is merely one facet of that. Therefore, it cannot be true that "eternal security" is unconditional, if it can be shown that "Salvation" is conditional.
Elsewhere on HEADJANITOR, I have addressed the question of whether God's "love" is unconditional; and I have demonstrated that it cannot be so. The existence of Hell is sufficient to disprove the notion that God's love is unconditional; yet, there is a host of other, Biblical, as well as purely logical, arguments which prove that God's love is not unconditional. If God's "love", therefore, is conditioned upon one's own willingness to continue in right relationship to Jesus Christ (which is the case), then, it follows that "Salvation" is conditional. For, who can be saved, whom God will not love?
Those who suppose that God will never cease to "love" anyone, at any time, nor for any reason, do not know anything at all about the Scriptures. The notion that God is somehow obligated to love anyone unconditionally, denies to God his prerogative, as God, to judge every creature He has made, according to God's own righteousness.
Let's consider the important case involving the archangel Lucifer. How long did that archangel live and serve in the very Presence of God, before God cast Lucifer out of Heaven? Does God still "love" Lucifer? (I have had more than one preacher tell me that God does still love Lucifer ~ the devil!) Some will object that the Bible says that Lucifer was a "murderer from the beginning" ~ and that is why God does not love him. But that is not what Scripture says at all:
"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar...." (John 8:44)Notice, first of all, the name "Lucifer" is not mentioned ~ though we are certain that "the devil" is that (fallen) archangel who formerly was called Lucifer (whose very name means "Light Bearer"). God did not create "the devil"; else, we would have to say that God created an evil, albeit intelligent, being, who from his inception was God's enemy. Such an idea not only contradicts the very nature of God, but it also contradicts the plain teaching of Scripture. God did not create "the devil"; but Lucifer became the devil, when he allowed himself to be lifted up in pride and chose to rebel against God.
When Scripture, therefore, says that "he was a murderer from the beginning," the pronoun "he" refers to "the devil" ~ which is the title that Scripture gives to that fallen archangel who formerly was called Lucifer. Thus, "the devil" was, indeed, a murderer "from the beginning" ~ but not from the beginning of his being. Rather, it was "from the beginning" of that time when Lucifer became "the devil", by reason of his own rebellion. And what was the nature of Lucifer's rebellion? He "abode not" ~ in the truth. It is not the case that Lucifer never did live (abide) in the truth. Yet, he did not CONTINUE to "abide" in the truth.
But WHY did Lucifer not continue to abide in the truth? Did God not love Lucifer, from the time when God first gave life to that archangel? Of course, God loved Lucifer. Was God faithful to love Lucifer? Of course, he was. But did Lucifer NEVER love God? That cannot be the case ~ as I explained, above. The only thing which can possibly explain Lucifer's fall, is, that Lucifer chose, of himself, to depart from God. At some point thereafter, God rejected Lucifer and cast him out of the Presence of God. God rejected Lucifer, because Lucifer rejected God ~ even though Lucifer did once abide with God in the truth.
How, then, did the concept of "eternal security" (OSAS) work for Lucifer? Did Lucifer have the promise of "eternal security"? If he did, then, why isn't Lucifer still in Heaven enjoying God's favor? But if angels do not have any such promise of "eternal security" ~ as that is imagined by some to be, then, why do some people nevertheless suppose that God has promised unconditional "eternal security" to human beings?
I will only say somewhat more about angels. That is, they are all intelligent, rational, and moral creatures. Therefore, they possess the capacity of "volition" (meaning, they have the ability to choose, and to will) ~ just as we also have the ability to choose and to will. What we do with that ability, furthermore, is the deciding factor involving our eternal destiny.
There are many who base their argument for "eternal security", at least in part, upon the assumption that the Bible teaches that salvation does not, indeed, that it cannot come "by the will of man". The most significant of which, Scriptures, is the following: ". . . which were born [again], not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:13). Note, however, that that passage is an incomplete fragment. Here, then, is that verse in its entirety, and in context:
"He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born [again], not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:11-13)There are two conditions, explicitly stated in the above passage, which are qualifying factors pertaining to all those who are "born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God". Namely, those who "receive" Christ and "believe on his name": they are the ones to whom God gives "power to become" the sons of God. Beyond all dispute, to "receive" another person into one's own life, as well as to "believe" (trust) that person, only consists as an ONGOING expression of an individual's WILL.
The expression, "nor of the will of man," in the above-quoted Scripture, does not mean that man has no choice in the matter of his own salvation. But it means (together with the expressions which proceed that) that the "power to become" (a child of God), must come from God, and not from man. Man (that is, individuals) must choose to believe on Christ and to receive Christ; but it is Christ who then enters into that individual's life and thus makes him or her a "new creature". The word "power," above, means: "authority, right, capacity, strength". Those who "receive" Christ, and who "believe" on his name, then are given, by God, the "authority, right, capacity, and strength" to become a child of God.
We see, then, that one's own WILL is the pre-condition, respecting salvation. But does one's WILL persist to be a (post-)condition, regarding salvation? If we say that an individual's WILL persists as a necessary condition of salvation, then, we must conclude that the doctrine of "eternal security" (OSAS) ~ as that is construed, is FALSE. In other words, if an individual's WILL must CONTINUOUSLY be to "receive" and to "believe on" Christ, in order to continue to "abide in the truth" of Christ, then, OSAS cannot be true.
On the other hand, in order for OSAS to be true: it must then be the case that an individual HAS NO MORE CAPACITY OF WILL, after that a choice ~ at a single moment in time ~ was made to "receive" and to "believe" Christ. But that obviously is not the case. For, there is not a soul living who has not sinned, after becoming a Christian. Sin is an act of the WILL. Thus, proving, that the WILL is not obliterated, nor even set aside ~ nor yet is the WILL irrevocably disposed to "receive" and to "believe" Christ, after that one is "born again".
The WILL of man is prerequisite (required, as the qualifying condition), in order for an unsaved person to receive salvation. Furthermore, it is self-evident that the WILL of man persists (continues, intact), following "conversion".
If God requires that the unsaved person must CHOOSE (notwithstanding the weakness of his or her impoverished spiritual condition) to "receive" and to "believe" Christ, in order that Christ will then enter into that life; then, why would anyone suppose that God requires anything less of that same person ~ after that he or she has received "power" (capacity, strength)?The doctrine of OSAS is as if Christ would say the following: "Sinner, I will not come into your life unless and until you are willing to receive and to believe me." (So far, that agrees with Scripture.) But, then, OSAS goes on to suggest that Christ now says, to the Christian: "I know that you will CHOOSE, time and again, to disbelieve Me and to reject my authority. But, that's O.K.: for, you did once believe and receive me. So, I'm just going to overlook the fact that your WILL, sometimes, or perhaps even oftentimes, is contrary to Me.)
The whole concept of OSAS ~ in the face of real facts, is irrational. Man is a moral being. That doesn't mean, of course, that people are "moral", as in "good". But it means that man HAS A WILL ~ for which he is FOREVER responsible to God, concerning his choices and commitments. "Salvation" doesn't make that responsibility 'go away'. If anything at all can be said about the moral responsibility of a Christian (one in whom the Spirit of Christ lives, in truth), it is that the Christian is held to a much higher standard.
Christ, in the soul of man, is not given to excuse those who choose to continue sinning (sin entails a much broader spectrum of offenses, than is supposed by most people ~ especially, by those who are blinded by their own sins). But Christ ~ the "unspeakable gift" of God ~ is given, in the soul of man, to give to trusting and obedient souls the power to overcome sin, in fact, to cease from sin. The soul that does not truly desire to be freed from all sin, does not actually know God.
But is it possible, some will ask, for one who does "know God", and who thus desires to be free from sin, to "backslide" and, so, to return again to embrace the sin which they once renounced? Let's see what the Bible says about that:
"For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire." (2 Peter 2:20-22)One has to do an awful lot of 'arm-twisting', to make those verses say something other than what they plainly mean. And I've highlighted some key words, so they are not overlooked. Still, there are other, relevant passages in the New Testament, which are given as WARNINGS AGAINST APOSTASY ~ not to unbelievers, but to CHRISTIANS:
". . . because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: for if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, IF thou CONTINUE in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off." (Romans 11:20-22)Those words of warning are explicitly addressed to the Christian! "Thou standest by faith", is not directed to any unbeliever. "Be not highminded, but FEAR," O, Christian. Why? Because, if you do not CONTINUE in God's goodness (in Christ), you shall be "cut off"!
How much plainer can it be than that?
Of course, those who hold the doctrine of OSAS, attempt to justify and to explain that false doctrine by insisting that those who "backslide" never were saved in the first place. But that idea is in direct contradiction to the plain teaching of Scripture, as shown in the above passages from 2Peter and from Romans. Still, there are numerous other passages which testify the same truths.
We do have "eternal security" in Christ: because that Christ is faithful and unchanging, we can therefore ever depend upon the Holy Spirit to enable us to overcome sin. But BEWARE! that does not mean that Christ will never ~ nor may never ~ change his mind toward any individual. God is nobody's fool. We are warned in Scripture, not to "do despite" unto the "Spirit of grace" (that is, the Holy Ghost).
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The doctrine of OSAS ~ by its very nature, denies even the possibility of apostasy. The word "apostasy" means "to turn away from, and to renounce, what one once embraced as truth". If OSAS is a true doctrine, then, everything the Bible says about apostasy ~ and all the warnings against that, are thus meaningless. For, "apostasy" is never used in reference to the world, as such, but in reference to those who once were in the truth.
Similarly, those who believe the doctrine of OSAS is true, have no use for "Revival" ~ that is, if they are logical and consistent with their own claims. For, what Christian needs "Revival", who can not by any means be "lost"? And, so what, if such a Christian were "lukewarm" toward Christ and indifferent to the commandments of God? He or she is still "saved"; right?
But those who insist that OSAS is true; and, yet, they also insist that those who are "lukewarm" and indifferent to the commandments of God were never saved: then, how do they explain the fact that many such persons, in fact, used to be very zealous for Christ, and for souls, and for the truth? Were they never saved? Yet, I have known numerous such persons. And I believed ~ as well as they also believed ~ they were truly saved. Nevertheless, they are walking very far from God, today. What happened, then, to their "eternal security"? OSAS can only be explained and justified, in the case that the Scripture is not true which assets that, "Whosever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13).
OSAS is contrary, most importantly, to Scripture, and, also, to common sense. God has not given any kind of promise, nor any kind of power (not even the Holy Ghost), which guarantees salvation to any individual, notwithstanding the willful choices and actions of that individual. Regeneration does not make one to become a robot. Neither does regeneration make one exempt from the righteous judgment of God. But regeneration makes one capable to know and to understand ~ and to believe and to obey ~ God's Word and Spirit.
The Bible says that God once "winked" at ignorance but, now, He commands all men, everywhere, to repent. "All" men. "Everywhere". Especially, that means professing Christians. The doctrine of OSAS neither helps nor hinders true and faithful Christians ~ that is to say, those who CONTINUALLY walk with God in the truth. But OSAS profoundly hinders those, weak-minded persons, who are tempted by that doctrine to believe that they are nevertheless loved and accepted by God ~ regardless of their carnal, sinful lifestyle.
Why, then, would the Holy Ghost set forth, in the Word of God, a doctrine which is meaningless to the true Christian, but it is a stumbling block to weak-minded persons? God is not the one who tempts people to believe they can continue in sin and still be accepted by God. But that is precisely the effect of OSAS. How does any sincere Christian profit from being told that he cannot backslide and die lost? OSAS is not a message which inculcates the fear of God. Rather, OSAS does just the opposite: that is, it militates against the fear of God; it teaches that, once a person has said the "Sinner's Prayer," there is thereafter no need to fear God: no need to fear the consequences of sin, no need to fear God's judgment ~ much less His wrath.
OSAS is contrary to the plain teaching of Scripture; it is contrary to common sense; it is irrational; it is inconsistent; it yields evil fruit; in a word, OSAS is wickedness.
Every person who ever received Jesus Christ into his or her life can stay saved for ever ~ so long as they WANT to and, thus, they WILL to CONTINUE to yield themselves to Christ. What is "Salvation", after all? It is nothing more, nor less, than yielding oneself to Christ, in order that His own Spirit may be that which is expressed in the soul of man.
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