Question from a friend of WordTruth Press:
>> Can you please help solve a situation. A friend and I are not
seeing
>> eye to eye on an issue and we are looking for an answer. I
believe that
>> once a person is saved and going to heaven that they are always
saved.
>> He believes that you have to be saved, but also live your life purely
and
>> completely in accord with God in order to be allowed into heaven.
>> I believe that once you are saved you will want to live your life
>> for the Lord, but that once you're sincerely saved, you will be
seen
>> as pure and allowed into the gates of heaven. Which is correct?
WordTruth Press Response:
The issue you have raised is often referred to as "eternal security"
or "perseverance of the saints." It is an important issue in
regard to how you live as a Christian but not an essential to one's salvation.
Issues regarding the nature of God, nature of Christ, His virgin birth,
sinless life, substitutionary death for our sins, and physical bodily resurrection
from the dead are all essential to one's salvation. Non-essential doctrines
such as eternal security, mode of baptism, church organization, etc. are
important to define and clarify but not to break fellowship over these
issues. Augustine's maxim rings true: "In essentials, unity. In non-essentials,
diversity. In all things, love."
You can and should discuss important Bible truths with your brothers
and sisters in Christ. Pound the table over what you believe, be
open to what Scripture actually says, and always be ready to put an arm
around your brother or sister and go to lunch with them. Do not part
company over non-essential issues.
Now, regarding eternal security. Consider what is accomplished when
you make a life-commitment to our LORD Jesus Christ as your personal Savior:
-
You are given eternal life (John 3:16) -- by definition, this is forever
life. That is what the word means in the original language.
-
You receive a righteousness by faith in our LORD Jesus Christ that is not
your own but from God (Romans 3:21-22).
-
You are declared holy and blameless in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
-
You have been perfected forever (in the sight of God) while you are being
sanctified (daily) through the once-for-all sacrifice by Christ (Hebrews
10:12,14).
Since all these things are done for you by your personal repentance and
faith in the LORD Jesus Christ, the believer can do nothing to add to this
salvation.
Nothing you do in terms of good works can save you since "by grace you
have been saved through faith; this is not of yourselves, it is a gift
of God; not by works so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).
If good works are not sufficient for salvation, then how could good works
possibly save you a second, third, or fourth time?
Salvation is an act of God accomplished through the death of His Son,
Jesus Christ, on the cross at Calvary whereby Jesus pronounced, "It is
finished!" (John 19:30). The debt to God for the sins of all mankind
for all time was completely paid. No one can add to what Jesus has
done. When you trust in Christ, you accept His death as the payment
for your sins (1 Peter 3:18) so that you can have an eternal relationship
with God (Acts 3:19; John 17:3).
Having said that, it is also true that you are not saved BY good works
but FOR good works:
-
Ephesians 2:10 indicates: "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk
in them."
-
James also indicates that SAVING faith will result in the pursuit of good
works (James 2:18). Good works do not show God that you are saved -- that
is an act on His part and He already knows you are saved. Good works
show the world you are following Christ. As James goes on to say in James
2:22 that good works perfect (the Greek word means "to mature") your faith.
Your good works do not enact faith but help you mature in faith.
As you follow Christ by faith, doing the good works He commands us to do,
you will grow in your relationship with God and your value to the kingdom
of God (more mature faith yields more good works, hence more value to the
kingdom of God). Many other verses can be pointed to the life of a Christian
is to be lived in pursuit of holiness (2 Corinthians 7:1), love (Ephesians
5:1-2), and following the example of Christ (1 John 2:6).
I hope this is helpful to frame the issue for you and your friend.
I cannot resolve this situation for you. You and your friend need
to agree to let the CLEAR passages of Scripture be your guide for life
and godliness. The debatable passages need to be interpreted in light
of the CLEAR passages -- often we get into disputes by using debatable
passages to reinterpret the clear passages. In the end, for non-essential
doctrines, such as eternal security, you may have to agree to disagree.
But even that can be done in Christian love -- agree to disagree agreeably
:-)
May God bless you with His wisdom and the courage to follow Jesus!
Randy Lariscy :-)
President - WordTruth Press℠
Copyright 3/16/2002, Randy Lariscy.
