Once Saved Always Saved? Part 2 of 2

(Continued)

Now, concerning Heb 6:4-8, there are different interpretations. The main ones include:

1. Those in Heb 6:4-8 are Christians who have fallen away and lost their salvation;
2. They are Jews who have tried Christianity but returned to Judaism;
3. This passage talks about the loss of rewards for backsliders but not the loss of salvation;
4. This is a hypothetical case to warn Christians about the dangers of apostasy, but it did not happen.

I will discuss each briefly and then tell my position:

Saved and then lost. This assumes that Christians are preserved by their perseverance. If they endure, they are saved. If they don’t, they will be lost. But according to:

• 1 Pet 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Christians are protected by God’s power, not the strength of their perseverance. So, this interpretation is not valid.

Jews who are not yet Christians. According to this view, these are seekers who tasted the goodness of the gospel but never embraced it and returned to the law when they faced trials. Let’s check what they have experienced to see if they are believers:

Enlightened. To give light, to shine, light up, or illumine. The same Greek verb phōtizō occurs one more time in Heb 10:32 But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings.

So, the group in Heb 6 enjoyed the same enlightenment as the Christians in Heb 10.

Tasted of the heavenly gift (v 4), tasted the good word of God (v 5), tasted the powers of the age to come (v 5). Tasted translates the Greek verb geuomai, which means to try the flavor of, partake of, or enjoy. Heavenly gift is not further defined. Some suggest it to be the free “gift of God” (Rom 6:23) or eternal life. Others believe the gift is grace (Eph 2:8). Some interpret “the word of God” as the Scriptures or the gospel. Some equate “the powers of the age to come” to be “signs and wonders and various miracles” (Heb 2:4). This school contends that since the Heb 6 group only “tasted” the benefits of belief but did not swallow them, they were only seekers but not yet believers. However, besides Heb 6:4 and 5, tasted also occurs in Heb 2:9 But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.

Jesus did not just “taste” death partially. He died the most cruel death invented by men, for men! Hence, the premise that “tasted” falls short of full participation is not substantiated.

Partakers of the Holy Spirit. Greek adjective metochos. Sharing in, or a partner in a work or office. Some interpret this to be sharing or having fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Again, this word’s other usage in Heb indicates otherwise:

• Heb 3:1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle, and High Priest of our confession;
• Heb 3:14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end,
• Heb 12:8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

If a person shares in the heavenly calling, Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Father’s discipline, having a part with all three Persons of the Trinity, he is an insider, not an outsider! Heb 6:4 is particularly relevant because of Rom 8:9b, “But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”

My conclusion based on the evidence is that these are not just Jews but Christians.

Lose rewards but not salvation. Proponents claim that the writer of Hebrews is not talking about losing salvation in chapter 6, only the rewards of salvation. What does the text say? We have already examined what these people experienced in v 4-5 to be part of the salvation process. What about v 6? Fallen away translates the Greek verb parapiptō, which means to deviate from the right path, turn aside, wander, to error. It occurs only once in the NT in Heb 6:6. What is the outcome of this falling away from true faith? It is impossible to renew them again to repentance. They have repented before. If they fall away, they cannot renew their repentance again. Repentance from what? The word repentance is the Greek noun metanoia, translated uniformly as repentance in the KJV, a change of mind or reversal of decision. Of particular interest is its occurrence in Hebrews besides v 6:

• Heb 6:1 Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
• Heb 12:17 For you know that even afterward when he (Esau) desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.

Both were genuine repentance, not false. I conclude that Heb 6:6 is about the consequence of falling away from faith in God, not just rewards not even specified in the entire paragraph.

Hypothetical for warning. This school contends that this verse presents a hypothetical case based on KJV (NKJV, RSV):

• Heb 6:6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

They believe the “if” in “if they shall fall away” is a matter of possibility, but had not happened. Opponents point out that the premise does not stand, as there is no “if” in Greek. The phrase is a participle and can be translated as “having fallen away” (see Interlinear). Another objection is, “If this were hypothetical, why bother warning someone against something that can’t happen?”

Nevertheless, there is some merit in this interpretation given:

• Heb 6:9 But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way.

My view is that of the four common interpretations, the first three have serious difficulties. I am not fully satisfied with the fourth, but the problems are less serious than the others. My interpretation principles are to start with exegesis instead of imposing a theological system to explain an idea, and to use clear passages to clarify more obscure verses.

On balance, I believe the “once saved, always saved” view to be valid, as this article tried to demonstrate.

Once Saved Always Saved? Part 1 of 2

Q. Heb 6:4 For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. 7 For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; 8 but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.

Can you explain “Once Saved, Always Saved”? Can a truly born-again Christian walk away from God and lose his position as God’s child?

I will answer the primary question before addressing Heb 6:4-8. The primary issue is whether our salvation ultimately depends on God’s promise or on us. My position is it depends on God, not our ability to hang on. Let us review two passages of what God promised:

• John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
• Rom 8:33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The conclusion is no enemy is greater than God to snatch us out of the Lord’s and the Father’s hands. Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. The natural question is, “OK, no one is greater than God, but can’t we walk away from God ourselves?”

My response depends on whether that person is really a born-again Christian. If he is a genuine Christian, then God will discipline a wayward child to bring him back:

• Heb 12:5  and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, Nor faint when you are reproved by Him; 6 For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives.” 7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

However, if he is a counterfeit Christian, then his walking away from God is a case of:

• 1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.

They are Christians in name only, but their lack of perseverance shows that they do not have saving faith and were not truly born-again.

Books have been written by both proponents and opponents of eternal security to support their position. Space does not allow me to address their arguments in this short article, but the above sums up my view.

(To be continued)

Abomination of Desolation

Q. Is the abomination of desolation Satan’s perception in the Temple which is in us? Could the second beast in the Book of Revelation be the Spanish inquisition? Why is everyone assuming there is no time between the second beast and Judgement?

The term “abomination of desolation” appears four times in the NASB:

• Dan 11:31 Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation.
• Dan 12:11 From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days.
• Mat 24:15 “Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),
• Mark 13:14 “But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.

As you can see it is something “set up” and people “see,” so it is NOT Satan’s perception in the Temple which is in us.

You are referring to the beast from the earth in Rev 13:11-18

• Rev 13:11ff Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon.

The Spanish Inquisition could not be the beast from the earth or the False Prophet, as it does not fit the description in Revelation:

• Rev 13:12-17 He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. He performs great signs so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the freemen and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.

The Spanish Inquisition prosecuted about 150,000 and executed 3-5,000 people to identify Catholic heretics, but it was nowhere near “all who dwell on the earth.” Nor could it make fire come down out of heaven, make the image of the beast (the Antichrist) speak, and mark all with the mark of the beast on the right hand or forehead. Roman Catholics would deny they are the first beast vehemently.

Not everyone assumes that there is not enough time between the emergence of the second beast and the Final Judgment. Evangelical Christians believe the first and second beasts will reveal their identity during the apostasy just before the seven-year tribulation:

• 2 Thes 2:3-4 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.
• 2 Thes 2:8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 

The man of lawlessness (the lawless one), the son of destruction, is the Antichrist or first beast. The second beast is contemporary with the first beast. The Lord will judge both and throw them into the lake of fire:

• Rev 19:20 And the beast was seized, and with him, the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.
• Rev 20:10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Days of Noah

Q. Is the Great Tribulation prophesied to be the same as the time before Noah’s flood?

A. No, the great tribulation is unique and unlike anything before or after, including Noah’s flood:

• Mt 24:21 For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.

However, the days of Noah are like the coming of the Son of Man:

• Mt 24:37-39 For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. ³⁸ For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered the ark, ³⁹ and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
• Lk 17:26-27 And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: ²⁷ they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

Like in what sense? In the sense that people are not aware of the coming disaster that will soon overtake them. Until the flood came, people were eating and drinking, and marrying. In other words, business as usual. The flood caught them off-guard. Similarly, the coming of the Son of Man will catch people by surprise.

How does the great tribulation fit into the coming of the Son of Man?

• The days of the Son of Man will start with the signs of His coming – the beginning of birth pangs – described in Mt 24:4-8.
• This will be followed by tribulation (v 9), which is not yet the great tribulation),
• Apostasy (v 10-12), and
• The preaching of the gospel of the kingdom to the whole world (v 13). All these will happen before the end comes (v 14).
• The abomination of desolation (v 15) marks the beginning of the great tribulation (v 21).
• Mt 24:29-30 “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ³⁰ And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.

So the great tribulation is immediately before the return of Christ. In other words, His Second Coming will be post-tribulation. The days of Noah before he entered the ark is like only the early days of the Son of Man, before tribulation arrives. So be on the alert, don’t be misled.

When will the Antichrist Come?

One thing remains, the Antichrist’s timing. We don’t know the specific time he will be revealed, but since the Lord Jesus will overthrow and destroy him by His coming, we can know the approximate time frame from the signs of Jesus’ Second Coming. These are given in Mt 24:4-14.

1. Deception. Jesus answered: “Watch out no one deceives you.
2. Many false Christs. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.
3. Wars. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
4. Famines.
5. Earthquakes. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.
6. Persecution of Christians. “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.
7. Apostasy. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,
8. Many false prophets. And many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.
9. Back-sliding. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
10. World Evangelization. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

As you can see, 1-9 have all increased in intensity and frequency over the last few decades. Only 10 has yet to be fulfilled, but the end is in sight. That’s why I believe both the Antichrist and the Lord will come soon. Watch and pray.

The Man of Sin

Q. Can you comment on the Antichrist?

(Continued from yesterday)

The name antichrist is used only by the apostle John, and appears 5 times in 4 verses, all in his 1st and 2nd epistle:

• 1 John 2:18 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.
• 1 John 2:22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son.
• 1 John 4:3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
• 2 John 1:7 I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.

Notice the following:
• There are many antichrists at the last hour, so the name refers to a group, not an individual.
• They are liars and deceivers.
• They do not acknowledge Jesus, His incarnation, and deny that He is the Christ, the Anointed.
• In denying the Son they deny the Father.

The idea of an individual Antichrist comes from Paul’s description of the man of lawlessness (man of sin in KJV) or the lawless one, even though the name Antichrist is not actually used there:

• 2 Thes 2:3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.
• 2 Thes 2:8-9 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie,

Notice again the focus on “deceive” and “lie”. The man of lawlessness is also called the man doomed to destruction (son of perdition in KJV). This latter name is used for one other person in the Bible – Judas Iscariot:

• John 17:12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

Some therefore conclude that just as Judas was the Lord’s apostle but betrayed Him, the Antichrist will be a nominal Christian who commits apostasy, or rebellion.

(To be continued)

The Traitor

Judas betrayed Jesus

Q. Lk 22:3-4 “Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve…and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus.” Why was Satan allowed to enter Judas? I thought that anyone filled with the Holy Spirit and follower of Christ could not be possessed by an evil spirit.

A. Your presupposition is correct, but Judas did not meet that criteria. Let’s look at the biblical evidence. He started out well, but he did not end well.

The earliest clue that something went wrong is in Jn 6:70-71 Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.) Even though he was called to be one of the Twelve, Jesus knew Judas’ heart had turned back and no longer followed Him (Jn 6:66).

The second clue is in Jn 12:4-6 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.]” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. Although we cannot be sure because the Bible did not say so explicitly, money, position and power may be his motive in betraying Jesus, as greed was certainly one of his character traits.

My opinion is that he had hoped Jesus would become King of a temporal, not spiritual, kingdom, and that he would gain a high position by following Jesus. When that failed to materialize, his disappointment turned to hatred and he betrayed Jesus. Despite his treachery, Jesus gave him every opportunity to repent during the Last Super. Jn 13:2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.

Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, including those of Judas.
• Jn 13:10-11 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
• Jn 13:18 I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned against me.’

Even at the last moment, Jesus did not name him to expose him. Instead, He gave him an opportunity to confess on his own, but he refused to the end. Jn 13:26-27 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.”

Judas was the one doomed to destruction Jn 17:12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. He was the precursor of the Antichrist, who like Judas will rebel against Christ. 2 Thes 2:3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.

So based on the biblical record, Judas was most definitely not filled with the Spirit and following Jesus to the end. In fact, he apostasized and did not really belonged to Jesus. 1 Jn 2:9 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. My conclusion is that he fits the description of Heb 6 and had fallen away: Heb 6:4-6a It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. Beware of apostasy.

Where does a Christian who commits Suicide go?

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

* Suicide
* Suicide is not the unpardonable sin.

Q. My teacher was a Christian who suffered from depression. He was a good teacher but finally committed suicide. Would he go to heaven?

A. This is a very emotional issue for someone who lost a loved one to suicide. On the one hand, some believe that suicide is self-murder in direct violation of the sixth commandment. And since it is final with no chance of repentance, that person will be lost forever. On the other hand, those who subscribe to eternal security believe that the person will still go to heaven. Who is correct?

The Bible does not address the issue directly, but here is my view based on the available evidence:
1. Suicide is sin, and discouraged in Scripture. There are six cases of suicides in the Bible:
a. Abimelech (Jud 9:54)
b. Saul and his armor-bearer (1 Sa 31:4,5; 1 Ch 10:4,5);
c. Ahithophel (2 Sa 17:23);
d. Zimri (1 Ki 16:18); and
e. Judas (Mt 27:5; Ac 1:18).

Some would count Samson (Jud 16:29,30) as well, but his death was more collateral damage in trying to kill the Philistines, and not his primary intention. With the exception of Saul’s armor-bearer for which there is insufficient data, all others were evil men. Suicide is never viewed as a solution to life’s problems.

2. Suicide is not the unpardonable sin, and is forgivable. There is only one sin in the Bible that is unpardonable – the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Mt 12:31-32 And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. When a person rejects the testimony of the Holy Spirit and refuses to believe in Jesus, there is no pardon for his sins because he has declined the only way for his sins to be forgiven. Suicide is not blasphemy against the Spirit. The person did not speak against the Holy Spirit and apostasized. He can be forgiven.

3. Eternal life is based on faith in Christ, not what people have done. A genuine Christian who believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). Some may feel that a Christian who commits suicide no longer believes in Jesus. But God examines a person based on the whole pattern of his life, not just his moment of faith when he first believed, nor his moment of despair when he loses hope in God to deliver him, and takes his own life as the way out. He is not condemned according to John 3:18 a. For a non-Christian, his suicide did not change his ultimate destiny, but only expedited it. John 3:18 b but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

My conclusion is that a Christian who commits suicide is still a child of God, and will be forgiven and enter into God’s presence in heaven.