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)

TULIP (Part 2 of Predestination)

(Continued from last post)

Is Calvinism biblical? Even though Calvinism consists of more than the five points of TULIP, I will limit my comments to them only. My approach is to cite what Calvinism and its opponent Arminianism assert about each point and their biblical evidence, then decide which side has better support.

Calvinism	Arminianism
Total Depravity or Inability. Because of Adam’s fall, man is unable of himself to believe the gospel. Gen 6:5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.Jer 17:9 The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it?Rom 3:10-12 As it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one. There is none who understands. There is none who seeks God. All have turned aside. Together they have become useless. There is none who does good. There is not even one.”	Total. Some Arminians believe in total depravity. Partial Depravity or Free Will and Human Ability. Other Arminians believe although human nature was corrupted by the fall, man’s free will enabled by common or prevenient grace can respond to the gospel. Jn 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.Jn 5:40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.Rom 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
Assessment. The Calvinist passages support the idea that man is totally (in all aspects of life) depraved – in his heart, mind, and body. The Arminian passages indicate that sinners with prevenient (preceding) grace can choose to believe or reject. While prevenient grace is a possible cause, Arminians did not offer any proof of such grace. This is supposedly given by God to open the minds of the unbelieving blinded by Satan so that they might see the light of the gospel (2 Co 4:4). It is an unproven theory. I, therefore, accept Total Depravity.
Unconditional Election. God elects individuals to be saved based entirely on His will, not on any condition in the individual. Rom 8:29-30 See above.Rom 9:11 for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls,Eph 1:4-5 See above.Eph 1:11 See above.	Conditional Election. God elects individuals to be saved based on His foreknowledge of who will believe in Christ. Rom 8:29 See above.Rom 11:2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?1 Pet 1:1-2 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.
Assessment. Both sides cite Rom 8:29, “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined,” but interpret “foreknew” differently. Calvinists take “foreknew” to mean “love beforehand,” so that God’s choosing the elect is indeed according to the kind intention of His will. Arminians interpret “foreknew” literally, thus making God’s choice dependent on His knowledge beforehand of who will believe in Jesus. Essentially man’s freedom directed God’s sovereignty, and His election becomes rubber-stamping man’s choosing to believe. This is not what the biblical data showed. I, therefore, accept Unconditional Election.
Limited Atonement or Particular Redemption. Jesus died only for the elect, not all humanity. Mt 1:21 She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.Jn 10:11 I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.Jn 17:9 I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours;Acts 20:28 Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.Rom 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,	Unlimited Atonement or General Redemption. Jesus died for all mankind, not just those He chose. Jn 3:16 For God so loved the world,Rom 11:32 For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.2 Co 5:14-15 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that One died for all, therefore all died, and He died for all so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.1 Tim 2:3-6 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.1 Tim 4:10 For it is for this we labor and strive because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.
Assessment. Both sides have valid evidence supporting their position: Calvinist: The sheep and the church are the elect, which indicates particular redemption. Arminians: To all, for all, and all men indicate the world, supporting general redemption. Since not all men are saved, Arminians reconcile this by concluding that while Jesus died for all men, His atonement becomes effective only for those who believe. My position is that since God is love (1 Jn 4:8), it is contrary to His nature to love only some but not others, leaving those He passed over to perish. 2 Tim 2:13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. I, therefore, accept Unlimited Atonement.
Irresistible Grace or Effectual Calling. The Holy Spirit extends to the elect an inward call that inevitably draws them to salvation. Jn 6:37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.Jn 6:44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day.Jn 10:16 I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice, and they will become one flock with one shepherd.	Resistible Grace. God calls all to repent and be saved, but man’s free will can resist and reject God’s free offer. Mt 23:37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.Acts 7:51 You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did.2 Thes 5:19 Do not quench the Spirit;
Assessment. Irresistible means it will produce the desired result; it does not mean by force. The Calvinists’ “all” and “no one” indicates that the elect receiving God’s call will inevitably come to Christ. The Arminians’ “unwilling” and “always resisting” show that men can resist the Holy Spirit. Scholars reconcile this by concluding that the outward call to all men can be resisted, but the inward call to the elect will be effective. I accept Irresistible Grace.
Perseverance of the Saints or Eternal Security. All chosen by God are preserved by Him and will persevere to the end. They are eternally secure. Jn 10:27-29 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me, and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 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 8:29-30 See aboveEph 1:3-14	Able to Fall from Grace. There is security in Christ based on continued faithfulness, but man can apostatize and lose their salvation. Mt 5:13 You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.Jn 15:6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.Heb 6:6 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.Heb 6:8 but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.
Assessment. Calvinists assert that the sheep (the elect) will never perish. They will be glorified. Arminians are divided, with some holding that believers are eternally secure in Christ. Others claim that it is possible to make a shipwreck of one’s faith (1 Tim 1:19) and lose his salvation. My position is that man did not gain salvation by his works or faith; so salvation is not his to lose, as no one, including himself, can snatch him out of Christ’s or the Father’s hand. We are sealed in Christ with the Holy Spirit of promise (Eph 1:13) and have eternal security. I accept the Perseverance of the Saints.

In summary, I hold four of the five points of TULIP. I do not subscribe to Limited Atonement as I believe it denies God’s nature of love. Many believe the five points stand together as a system, and to reject one is to reject all. My concern is to be biblical – to be true to Scripture as far as I understand. To be labeled as Calvinistic or otherwise does not concern me; to be Christ’s disciple does. You do not have to accept my position as each one of us will give an account of himself to God (Rom 14:12).

Five Foolish Virgins

Q. Did the 5 foolish virgins lose their salvation? How does it square with “once saved, always saved”?

A. The key is “are the 5 foolish virgins Christians?”. Some believe they are, based on:
• They are virgins, and virgins are figurative of the body of Christ 2 Co 11:2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to Him.
• They had oil, and oil is symbolic of the Holy Spirit’s anointing 2 Co 1:21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us.

However, if they were genuine Christians, the bridegroom, representing Christ, would never have replied ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ (Mt 25:12). More likely, virgins simply mean chaste persons Rev 14:4 These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins.

Furthermore, Mt 25:3 says “The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.” The text is clear that they did not have oil. There is no “extra” in the original. Then how come v 8 says The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ To understand this, we need to know the kind of lamps they were carrying. The Greek word is lampas, which means a torch. They are for outdoor use, able to stand the wind without the flame going out, not the oil lamps for indoor use. They can be lit, but go out quickly unless supplied with oil, which the foolish virgins did not have.

Now Rom 8:9 says, “You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.“ So, the foolish virgins were in the company of the wise ones, took their lamps like they did, except that they did not have any oil i.e. the Holy Spirit. They looked like Christians, but they did not belong to Christ. They even called Him “Lord, Lord” (v 11), just as in Mt 7:22-23, “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

Why were the wise virgins so selfish in not sharing the oil? They were not mean, just being realistic, because you cannot be saved riding on the coattails of others, be they your parents, spouse or friend. Everyone must come to a relationship with God for him/herself. There is no second-hand saving faith.

So this is not a case of true Christians losing their salvation. They may be moral persons in church, but they were never saved to begin with. I believe in perseverance of the saints, but these were not saints, just nominal Christians at best.