ETERNAL SECURITY AND "ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED"

THE THREE VIEWS OF SALVATION

There are three separate views of Salvation in churches today. Here they are and what each believes.

1. Arminianism. Arminianism teaches that man can "save himself" by a "profession of faith" by using his own "free will decision". Man can also "lose" his salvation, however. Arminianism was approved by the Roman Catholic Church at the Council of Trent which ruled: "if any man claims that a man once justified cannot fall away, let him be accursed". Rome did this in the Counter-Reformation to attempt to silence the "Perseverance of the Saints" in point 3. Several "nominally protestant" denominations also accept the same teaching but would deny they teach what the Roman Church teaches; they would teach what they teach while rejecting the pope for instance.

2. Eternal Security. This teaches part of what the Arminians teach except that you cannot lose your salvation "no matter what", as long as a person "raises their hand" or "comes down front". In this they deny Arminianism, in that Arminianism says that one can lose his Salvation. The "Eternal Security" teaching can foster lasciviousness. All that is required is a "free will decision" and then that person can never be lost no matter what. An emphasis on "no works" can also be taken that none are required even after Salvation. Many times they reject the Law, saying "we are not under the Law, but under Grace". This denies I John 3:4 and would promote antinomianism in many cases. In promoting "a free will decision", they deny The Perseverance of the Saints. So what they have done is half-deny both Arminianism and "Eternal Security" is an attempt to establish a "new" teaching, denying both Calvinism and Arminianism, while at the same time, still containing elements of each.

3. Perseverance of the Saints. This is the true teaching. The Elect, being "chosen from before the foundation of the world" are Saved, but by G-d alone. He is the, "Author and Finisher of our Faith" and He also Sanctifies the Elect according to His Good Pleasure (Philippians 2:13), not to just, "escape hell" or, "escape the great tribulation" but to be, "conformed to the Image of His Dear Son".

In essence, what we find in the Arminian presentation is a denial of the Preservation of the Saints doctrine outright. On the other hand, what we find in the "Eternal Security" teaching is a partial acceptance of the Arminian position (free will decision) along with a partial acceptance of the Perseverance of the Saints position (that the Elect are Saved forever), while at the same time rejecting the Perseverance of the Saints' emphasis on Ynconfitional Election and the Arminaian position of "losing ones' salvation"..

The "Eternal Securityites" use this verse:

'And I Give unto them Eternal Life, and they shall never perish. John 10:28

This naturally leads to a struggle between the Arminian and the "Eternal Security" positions. Dispensationalists use this credo ("borrowed" from the Preservation of the Saints teaching):

"WE DON'T EARN IT, WE DON'T DESERVE IT, AND WE DON'T WORK FOR IT"

(And use it to create a wedge against the Arminians):

VS.

"CONDITIONAL SALVATION"

"THEY ARE TRYING TO EARN IT, THEY ARE TRYING TO DESERVE IT, AND THEY ARE WORKING FOR IT ALL THE TIME"

The Preservation of the Saints (the Augustinian view) is that all of the Elect are Saved at last. G-d will not "lose" even one. (Ephesians 1:4-13; John 1:13; John 6:44 and numerous other passages)

The "Eternal Security" proponents then use it versus:

"CONDITIONAL SALVATION" (THE ARMINIAN POSITION)

The Arminians: (after Arminius, also known as Conditional Salvation :(so named because they say man must meet certain "conditions" to "stay Saved")[1] who say you can "lose your Salvation" if you "don't act right" according to their standards[2] which they insist are "Gods' standards" for "staying Saved".

The Arminians may be taught that the Eternal Security teaching is solely a "Calvinist invention" when in fact, the Eternal Security position is NOT Calvinistic.

OTHER ARGUMENTS AGAINST ETERNAL SECURITY

Eternal Security can give persons a "license to sin" and "go out and do whatever they want", and "sin as much as they want".

This has been shown to be somewhat correct in many cases with regard to those that believe "Eternal Security".

The Preservation of the Saints teaching is exactly the opposite.

The Preservation of the Saints position is that G-d Knows how to Keep His Own Shepherded and "to keep you from falling". There is such a thing as Divine Discipline for those who fall into a lifestyle of sin. There is also the "sin unto death" for those who greatly defy His Will. He also can bring a believer home early.

Be not deceived, G-d is not mocked, for whatsoever a man sows, the same shall he also reap.

Among Arminians, another semi-popular argument which appears logical is that since they claim they have "accepted" Salvation, they can also "return" it. No man "accepts" by any independant act of his own will, however. Scripture is clear in John 1:13. Salvation is a Gift and this G-d does "without Repentance".

Beware of any teacher that claims he can "will" his own Salvation. Most likely they are not Saved. These can include either Arminians, or others who claim "Eternal Security".

Now what saith the Scripture?

...If they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Light in them. Isaiah 8:20b.

Here is one verse to consider The Preservation of the Saints teaching:

And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the Word of the Lord: and as many as were Ordained to Eternal Life Believed. Acts 13:48

Please look at the Word of G-d very carefully here. It does NOT SAY, "and all that believed were ordained to eternal life", but the exact opposite. It says that "as many as were Ordained to Eternal Life Believed".

MORE FOLLOWING SOON!


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FOOTNOTES

[1]Either "Conditional Salvation" or "Eternal Security" in some form is found within all cults.

Arminianism has basically been the official position of the Roman Catholic Church since before the Council of Trent. Most "evangelicals" and "independants" are completely uninformed of this fact along with their whole "denominations" but frankly it is difficult to understand how those at the top could be.

The Roman Church teaches certain "works" must be performed to "remain in Grace until death" and, by so doing, "win Salvation" (stay Saved). This results in a "gospel of works" and no more Grace. Again, some persons may not actually realize they are preaching cultic or Romanist doctrine when they preach one can "lose their Salvation".

The two doctrines; Eternal Security versus Arminian (Conditional Salvation) are the Dispensational and Roman Catholic positions respectively.

In addition, Josephus records that the Pharisees taught "Conditional Salvation"; a "gospel of works" and Yeshua rebuked the Pharisees publically for their doctrines.

The fact that persons have seemed to "lose their Salvation" very often points to the fact that those individuals most likely never were Saved in the first place, or they have followed the Dispensational teaching to not regard G-ds' Law. What some have thought was "Salvation" was just an emotional experience or following some religious rules to try and "work their way to heaven". These are the "religious ones" that have just their fleshly "human faith" and were not Given the Gift of Divine Faith at all.

[2]These "standards" can vary and often do vary from one Arminian congregation to another. As ridiculous as this sounds, in one congregation, if a female wears make-up for instance, she is "not Saved".

In another, if one doesn't "speak in tongues", or isn't "Baptized into their Church", they are "not Saved".

We have found whole "denominations" have been formed on the basis of peoples' emotional patterns and personal "likes and dislikes".

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