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ETERNAL SECURITY
DETAILED STUDY OF THE ETERNAL SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER
1) CHRIST IS THE ONLY FOUNDATION OF AN INDIVIDUAL'S SALVATION THUS MAKING IT ETERNALLY SECURE
(v. 11) "For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ."
["foundation" = "themelion" = a foundation for a building which one would "lay" and then "build upon".
Salvation is the key to entrance into heaven and the foundation of one's life in heaven which God solely and exclusively builds as a result of one trusting alone in Christ alone, (Eph 1:13-14; 2:8-9)]
(v. 12) Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
[Now once one is saved one then begins to build upon this foundation. One may build with eternally valuable gold, silver and precious stones, i.e., divine good works; or with valueless and destructible wood, hay and straw, i.e., human good works, (or perhaps no works at all - just a sinful lifestyle). The building that a believer's lifestyle is forming upon the foundation of salvation in Christ is representative of the reward that a believer receives when he gets to heaven]
(v. 13) each man's [each believer's, (v. 11)] work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work,
[each man's work will become evident; for the day......................
"the day" = a term which signifies the day when our Lord will return in judgment and rule the earth from Jerusalem, (Isaiah - details of the "Day" described throughout the entire book. 2 Thes 2:1-2 and I Thes 4:13-18 point to the rapture which is the beginning of the "Day" of the Lord]
(v. 13 cont.) each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work,
[Notice that the quality of each believer's work will be tested by fire. What a believer does with his life on earth will then be judged as to whether or not it deserves a reward in heaven. So fire is not just a judgment of the unsaved it is also used by God to judge the value of the deeds of believers' lives]
[1 Cor 3:11-15 cont.]:
(v. 14) If any man's work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward,
["it" = the "foundation" of eternal life which is faith alone in Jesus Christ alone, (v.11).
If a believer's work which he has built by what he did with his life on earth survives the test of our Lord as to its eternal value then he will receive a commensurate reward in heaven. The question as to whether the believer's works were of divine origin or not, (Eph 2:10), will be decided by Jesus Christ Himself. Ref. 2 Cor 5:10]
(v. 15) If any man's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire."
Notice here that a man's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss for his total unfaithfulness in the sense of rewards and being disciplined in the kingdom, but he himself shall be saved as one escaping through a building on fire.
2) TOTAL AND EXCLUSIVE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD IN AN INDIVIDUAL'S SALVATION SECURES THAT SALVATION
[Rom 5:6-8]:
(v. 6) "For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
(v. 7) For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.
(v. 8) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
(v. 9) Much more then, having now been justified by His blood,we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
(v. 10) For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."
WHAT GOD HAS DONE ALONE IN SAVING THE BELIEVER CANNOT BE UNDONE BY THE BELIEVER. ETERNAL SECURITY, THEREFORE, IS BASED UPON THE FACT THAT SALVATION DEPENDS ON WHO AND WHAT GOD IS AND DOES, NEVER ON WHAT MAN IS OR DOES.
[Compare Eph 2:8-9]:
(v. 8) "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -
(v. 9) not by works, so that no one can boast."
These two verses are part of a passage which emphasizes the TOTAL & EXCLUSIVE sovereignty of God in a person's salvation. The emphasis of God's exclusive and total sovereignty in a person's salvation is so strong that before one looks at these two well quoted verses one must read the entire section (Eph 1:3-2:10) in order to verify that it is indeed true that God and God alone has anything to do with a person's salvation unto eternal life.
Eph 1:3-2:9 clearly describes THE ABSOLUTELY COMPLETE WORK THAT GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON AND GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT DID IN ORDER THAT A MAN COULD BE SAVED.
"ABSOLUTELY COMPLETE" means that nothing needs to be added - nothing can be permitted to be added.
3) SALVATION IS A FREE GRACE GIFT WHICH MAKES IT ETERNALLY SECURE
Scripture passages verify that NOTHING from the individual can be permitted by God to contribute toward his salvation which God offers on a free grace basis only:
[Compare Ro 11:6]:
"And if by grace, then it is no longer by works, if it were [by works] GRACE WOULD NO LONGER BE GRACE"
Romans 11:6 above states that if an individual were to trust in Christ as Savior with the mental attitude that he must provide something himself in addition to that trust in order to gain entrance or to earn entrance into heaven, (water baptism, no more serious sinning, taking the Lord's Supper, i.e. the mass; going to church, making Jesus the Lord of his life, etc., etc.), then the grace basis - the GIFT basis - of his salvation would "no longer be grace" as Ro 11:6 says above. And his salvation would NOT be salvation AT ALL, for God saves on a grace - a gift - basis only. One can neither pay for nor do something to deserve a gift. A gift by definition is something that is freely given and freely received - without strings - without attachments. Compare Ro 3:22-24 which teaches that eternal life is a free grace gift by faith alone - no strings attached:
[Ro 3:22-24]:
(v. 22) "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, (v. 23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
(v. 24) and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."
[Notice that the redemption - the salvation - came FREELY by Christ Jesus. There is no mention of any other agent such as the individual and a contribution he might make. And the expression of faith alone in Christ alone is stated as resulting in justification unto eternal life. So this verse is saying that eternal life comes by faith alone in Christ alone. Eternal life is not through anything one might contribute himself as this would cancel God's free grace gift, (Ro 11:6).
4) THE TOTAL DEPRAVITY OF MAN NECESSITATES THE ETERNAL SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER
And to make matters worse, one must be mindful that unbelievers are totally depraved and unable to contribute anything to their salvation:
[Ro 8:8]:
"and those who are in the flesh [unbelievers or carnal believers] cannot please God." [with their deeds. Therefore anything done toward salvation would not be effectual]
[Compare Isa 64:6]:
"For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment, and all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like wind, take us away." [Compare Ro 6:20; Job 14:1-4; Jer 17:9; Ps 51:5]
(v. 21b) "For if a law.."
[Notice: if a law. In the original Greek Bible there is no article before "law" in Gal 3:21b. When the article is omitted in the Greek it signifies the quality of the noun rather than a specific concept of law like THE Mosaic Law when a definite article is then used. Here at the beginning of the last part of Galatians 3:21, the quality of law is being referred to meaning any kind of law or rules of human conduct. Therefore the word "law" in verse 21b refers to the behavior of men - laws of moral conduct, codes and acts of moral behavior, etc. It is therefore a general statement referring to any set of deeds which an individual must perform, (not just the Law of Moses); for example, water baptism, repentant behavior, good deeds, church going, giving, etc.
Compare Romans 3:21: same grammatical construction and context]
[Gal 3:21b-22 cont.]:
(v. 21b) "For if a law [i.e., rules of human conduct] had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law"
[For if any kind of rules of human conduct could result in salvation then certainly the Mosaic Law would have been able to do the same. But God's Word is saying here that righteousness and eternal life are not based on any set of rules of conduct]
(v. 22) But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, [i.e., totally depraved and unable to contribute anything toward salvation] so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe."
So Paul's answer to the question of what one must do to be saved is not as a result of anything man can do but simply by faith alone in Christ alone: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved..."[Acts 16:31]
Therefore, one must be mindful of the fact that any action on the part of the unsaved such as water baptism would be contaminated and motivated by the indwelling sin nature of the unbeliever and thereby unacceptable by God toward his salvation. Thereby God's salvation unto eternal life is secure.
5) THE BELIEVER IS IMMEDIATELY POSITIONED IN HEAVEN AT THE POINT OF SALVATION, THUS SECURING HIS ETERNAL DESTINY
[Eph 2:6-7]:
(v. 6) "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus"
[God immediately views the individual who has just trusted alone in Christ alone as Savior as having already been raised up in perfection and seated in heaven - even before anything else is done by that individual! This is called positional truth. Once an individual has trusted alone in Christ alone as Savior, (ref. Eph 1:13-14); even before he dies; he receives the position of being seated with God in heaven and then awaits to take that position in actuality when he is finished with his earthly, mortal life]
[Eph 2:6-7 cont]:
(v. 6) "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
(v. 7) in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus."
[Verses 6 & 7 state that God immediately raised all believers up and seated them positionally in heaven in order that in the coming ages: the millennium, the tribulation period and on into eternity-future God might show how inestimable, how incomparable - nothing compares - to the riches of His grace in the working of a believer's salvation. Notice - it is ALL HIS GRACE - not a hint that there is permitted a participation by any individual person or ANY contribution toward his own salvation. God is emphasizing here in this passage that He is to get ALL THE GLORY.
6) SALVATION IS THE SURE HOPE OF THE BELIEVER BECAUSE IT IS BY A MOMENT OF FAITH ALONE
The word rendered 'hope' in the original greek is not the same as in English by definition. In the Greek it signifies a sure hope not an indefinite possibility.
Let’s see what the word sure means in accordance with the normative rules of language.
[http://dictionary.reference.com/]:
sure (sh r, shûr) adj. sur·er, sur·est
Impossible to doubt or dispute; certain.
Not hesitating or wavering; firm: sure convictions.
Confident, as of something awaited or expected: sure of ultimate victory.
Bound to come about or happen; inevitable: sure defeat.
Having one's course directed; destined or bound: sure to succeed.
Certain not to miss or err; steady: a sure hand on the throttle.
Worthy of being trusted or depended on; reliable.
Free from or marked by freedom from doubt: sure of her friends. Synonym: Certainty
Excerpt: "... ensure, assure; clinch, make sure; determine, decide, set at..."
And let’s see what the word hope means in accordance with normative rules of language:
A wish or desire accompanied by confident expectation of its fulfillment.
Notice that when you combine the two words into the phrase ‘sure hope’ you have a certain expectation of fulfillment. There is complete assurance no matter what of the fulfullment, the outcome. Notice: assurance is synonymous for the word sure.
Certain expectation does not allow for possibility of failure or conditions such as an individual’s faithful or unfaithful lifestyle and certain acts such as water baptism, going to Mass, etc. Sure is certain, an assured expectation - no doubts, absolutely reliable.
And look why: it rests in the reliability of God and His promise to save the individual at the moment of faith alone in Christ alone as sealed by the Holy Spirit Himself:
[Eph 1:13-14]:
(v. 13) "And you were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
[Notice that God the Holy Spirit seals the believer and becomes a deposit Who guarantees the redemption of those who are God’s possession - the very ones that the Holy Spirit marks into Christ and indwells and seals at the point when an individual believes]:
(v. 14) Who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory."
Let’s look at Scripture now to see about the use of the Greek word "Elpida" which God the Holy Spirit inspired the writers of Scripture to pen and which is rendered in English "hope":
[Titus 2:13]:
"While we wait for the blessed hope [Elpida, Str. # 1680] --the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ"
Shall we not conclude that the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ is assured, i.e., it is a sure thing, a certainty? Of course, knowing Who God is. If so then since it is described in God’s Word as an "Elpida" = "hope" then "Elpida" means a certain expectation, an event which is assured = a certain expectation.
The same word appears in Scripture to describe the believer’s salvation:
[1 Thes 5:8-9]:
(v. 8) "But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope [="Elpida"] of salvation as a helmet."
[Notice that those addressed, i.e., believers, (1:1, 5:1), have a sure hope, i.e. a certain expectation of their salvation - no matter what. They are indeed assured of eternal life. And the next verse confirms this]:
(v. 9) For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Note that salvation is dependent upon God alone. If God appointed one not to suffer wrath but to receive salvation as this verse stipulates then one can be assured that God being Who He is will deliver. So one will indeed not ever suffer wrath and assuredly has received salvation - forever.
Compare Jn 3:16 which indicates that at the moment of believing in the Son being given for you, the believer IMMEDIATELY enters a state of never perishing, (aorist tense = completed action in the past) and into present possession of eternal life (present tense) forever because eternal life is everlasting:
[Jn 3:16]:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Note that even a constant state of believing in Christ is not required because "whoever believes" is a nominative participle = lit. ‘whoever is the believing one’ = 'whoever' is defined as a believing one the moment one begins believing. A continuous state of believing is thus not required in order for one to be declared a believer at which time one receives the gift, (Eph 2:8-9), of eternal life forever before one faithful action is done.
[Compare Eph 2:8-9]:
(v. 8) "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith.."
"Through faith" = An objector might say, 'Well faith is something a believer contributes to his salvation.'
But Scripture defines faith as:
"...Being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" [Heb 11:1]
Does that sound like one is doing something - contributing something? Or does it sound like one is relying on God to do it all? Faith according to Scripture is simply a sure hope - a simple, complete trust in Christ as Savior.
7) SALVATION, BEING BY GRACE, GUARANTEES THE ETERNAL DESTINY OF THE BELIEVER
[Eph 2:8-9]:
(v. 8) "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith.."
"It is by grace" = grace = "chariti" = unmerited favor', i.e., you did - NOTHING - to deserve your salvation. This PRECLUDES - EXCLUDES - PROHIBITS - any contribution on your part for any reason. Thus it is secured by God since the believer provides no contribution toward it.
8) THE FAITH WHICH AN INDIVIDUAL EXERCISES TOWARD CHRIST UNTO ETERNAL LIFE IMPLIES NO ACTION, NO CONTRIBUTION ON THE PART OF THE INDIVIDUAL, THUS SECURING IT SINCE GOD IS THE SOLE CONTRIBUTOR
[Eph 2:8-9]:
(v. 8) "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith.."
"Through faith" = An objector might say, 'Well faith is something a believer contributes to his salvation.'
But Scripture defines faith as:
"...Being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" [Heb 11:1]
Does that sound like one is doing something - contributing something? Or does it sound like one is relying on God to do it all? Faith according to Scripture is simply a sure hope - a simple, complete trust in Christ as Savior. Incidentally, Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, (G. & C. Merriam Co., Springfield, Ma., 1980), defines faith and believe as follows:
"Faith...
1: a: allegiance to duty or a person: LOYALTY
b: fidelity to one's promises
2: a (1): belief and trust in and loyalty to God
(2): belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion
b (1): firm belief in something for which there is no proof
(2): complete confidence
3: something that is believed esp. with strong conviction; esp: a system of religious beliefs syn see BELIEF ant doubt.
Believe...
1: a: to have a firm religious faith b: to accept trustfully and on faith <people who in the natural goodness of man> 2: to have a firm conviction as to the reality or goodness of something < in exercise> 3: to hold an opinion: THINK vt 1: to consider to be true or honest < the reports> 2: to hold as an opinion: SUPPOSE <I it will rain soon> syn see KNOW"
The New Analytical Greek Lexicon which is a dictionary of the koine Greek language of the Bible, (Wesley J. Perschbacher, Editor, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, Ma; 1992, p. 329), states as the meaning of the word pisteuo which is translated believe in the English Bible translations as follows:
"(4100)... [pisteuo] 1 pers. sg. pres. act. indic., fut... [pisteuso] ...to believe, give credit to, Mark 1:15; 16:13; Luke 24:25; intrns. to believe, have a mental persuasion, Matt. 8:13; 9:28; James 2:19; to believe, be of opinion, Rom. 14:2; in N.T. [pisteuein en, eis] to believe in or on, Matt. 18:6; 27:42; John 3:15, 16, 18; absol. to believe, be a believer in the religion of Christ, Acts 2:44; 4:4, 32; 13:48; trans. to intrust, commit to the charge or power of, Luke 16:11; John 2:24; pass. to be intrusted with, Rom. 3:2; 1 Cor. 9:17"
Note that the Greek word used in the Bible which is translated into forms of the verb 'to believe' is also defined according to the Greek dictionary to mean a mental assent - devoid of additional actions on the part of an individual other than the mental agreement.
And finally, the Word of God confirms that forms of the verb to believe when used in passages concerning how an individual receives eternal life is defined as an acceptance - a mere mental assent - of the testimony of God:
[1 John 5:9-13]:
(v. 9) "We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which He has given about His Son.
[Accepting the testimony of God about His Son is presented here as an agreement that what God is saying about His Son is true - mere mental assent. The next verse then defines accepting the testimony of God as believing:
(v. 10) Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart..........
["has this testimony in his heart" = in his mind. Anyone who believes that the Son will provide eternal life for him has this testimony in his heart such that it is a part of his mental understanding that he is now saved unto eternal life]
(v. 10 cont.) .....Anyone who does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about His Son.
[So to be saved one must believe in the testimony of God about His Son. The verb believe is herein defined relative to salvation unto eternal life as a mental assent, an acceptance, that what God says about His Son is true. Nothing else is required here in order to receive eternal life such as demonstrating this faith by some kind of action]
(v. 11) And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
[i.e., if you want eternal life: trust in God's Son to provide it for you]:
(v. 12) He who has the Son has life..........
[He who believes in God's testimony about His Son - that the Son will provide eternal life for him if he merely believes in the Son doing this has eternal life, (v.10)].... (v. 12 cont.) ...he who does not have the Son of God does not have life."
To have the Son means to believe that He will provide eternal life for you. To not have the Son is to not take God at His Word that the Son alone will provide eternal life for you. So if you believe what God testifies to, then you will therefore have eternal life because God says so. God being Who He is, He will deliver. And then John writes further that an individual can know that he is saved unto eternal life at the very moment of his mental assent]:
(v. 13) I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you many know that you have eternal life."
So, taking God at His Word about eternal life through His Son provides assurance that you do NOW possess the gift of life everlasting in heaven never to lose it.
So nothing in the word 'believe' relative to securing eternal life implies that any action is required beyond the simple trust - the simple mental assent stated in Jn 3:16 and numerous other passages in the Bible. Just as one would simply believe that a door is green via a simple mental assent; or that an individual who is physically incapable of vigorous movement, can still believe that exercise is good for his health, i.e., a simple mental assent, without actually performing the exercise itself; so in the same way one can trust alone in Christ alone as one's Personal Savior unto eternal life - without doing anything beyond the simple mental assent. Consider that this is true especially since God has completed all that is necessary for any individual's salvation, (Eph 1:3-2:9). And consider this in the light that all men are totally depraved and incapable of contributing a single acceptable thing toward anyone's salvation, (Ro 3:23; 8:8; Isa 64:6; Ps 14:1-3; 58:3; Jer 17:9).
[Charles C. Bing, Pastor of Burleson Bible Church, Burleson, Tx., states in the Journal of the GRACE EVANGELICAL SOCIETY, Vol. 9, Spring, 1996, Number 16, in an article entitled 'THE CONDITION FOR SALVATION IN JOHN'S GOSPEL', pp. 28-34]:
"Much discussion has focused on the use of the verb pisteuo [to belief either absolutely, or with the prepositions eis [in] and epi [on], or with the dative case [indirect object of the verb] or hoti [that]. While some would claim these constructions indicate different kinds of faith... [Scripture teaches] ...that all these combinations refer to saving faith.
...believe without an object implies no less than believe with an object as when prepositions are used. The prepositions eis and epi may emphasize the object of faith, but do not distinguish another kind of faith... The construction of pisteuo with the dative is also clearly used for salvation, as in 5:24. Jesus said, 'Whoever hears My word and believes Him Who sent me has eternal life.'
The similarity of believe with the dative and believe in is seen in 6:29-30...
[Jn 6:29-30]:
(v. 29) "Jesus answered and said to them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him Whom He has sent.'
(v. 30) They said therefore to Him, 'What then do You do for a sign, that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform?' "]
...and 8:30-31...
[Jn 8:30-31]:
(v. 30) "As He spoke these things, many came to believe in Him.
(v. 31) Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, 'If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine.' "]
It is exegetically impossible to separate their meanings in those passages. To believe Christ is to believe in Him, and vice versa. Thus the slightly less certain construction is clarified by John's favorite term for saving faith, believe in.
The pisteuo plus hoti [believe that] construction also denotes saving faith. While some may argue that this combination denotes an intellectual acquiescence that falls short of effectual faith, it seems obvious that one cannot believe in unless he or she also believes that.... Each implies the other...In fact, if one really believes that, one can hardly not believe in... We find the hoti construction in two passages that clearly discuss the condition for salvation. John 8:24 says 'If you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.' The other passage is no less than John's purpose statement, 20:31...
[Jn 20:31]:
"But these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name."] ...(cf. also I John 5:1)...
...Faith, then, when represented by pisteuo in its various forms denotes trust in something or someone. It assumes assent to the truthfulness and trustworthiness of a person or what is claimed. In John [and throughout the Bible for that matter], faith is trustful reliance on Christ's promise to give eternal life to those who believe...
While there is one condition for salvation, John may represent that condition with figures of speech designed to illustrate the response of faith.
LOOK. In 3:14-15 the anticipated response is to look upon Christ and His work for eternal salvation, as the Israelites looked upon the serpent on a pole in the desert for their physical salvation (Numbers 21). The point of the illustration is the simple look of faith...
HEAR. Similarly, John uses hearing to represent believing. More than the physical sense is involved. To hear is to listen, but also to accept as true, as we understand with the colloquial expression, 'I hear you.' Belonging to Jesus as His sheep is conditioned upon hearing His voice of truth (10:16, 27), as also is obtaining eternal life (5:24). The unbelief of the lost is due to their not hearing God's word (8:43, 47).
ENTER. Speaking metaphorically of Himself as the door to the sheepfold, Jesus also pictures the response of faith as entering the door (10:9). To enter correlates with faith in that both express one's trust for protection from the threat of the enemy.
FEED. The notion of feeding on Christ (6:57), including eating His flesh and drinking His blood (6:54), is another analogy of the faith that obtains eternal life, as is clear in 6:35 and 6:47. This is similar to the drink of living water (eternal life) offered to the Samaritan woman (4:10, 14). To eat and drink is to appropriate or receive something upon which life depends. There is no work or merit associated with these activities. Rather, the benefit is from what is appropriated, which corresponds to the object of faith, which is Christ.
COME. Another metaphor for faith is expressed by the word come. In 5:40 coming to Christ obtains eternal life. In 6:35 come is equated with both eating and believing. Coming, drinking, and believing are used synonymously in 7:37-38 as the condition for salvation. To come is to trustingly approach Christ for help. It entails no human merit or effort.
RECEIVE. Another word that may represent faith is receive. The promise that any who receive Christ will become children of God is closely linked to believing in 1:12. Believe appears to be in apposition to receive here in order to explain it. In 1:12 to receive is to welcome or accept as true the person or words of Jesus Christ (3:11, 32-33; 5:43). This is in contrast to those who 'did not know' and 'did not receive' Jesus as the Christ in 1:10-11...
[CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD]
[Ro 10:13]:
"For 'WHOEVER WILL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.'
(v. 14) How then shall they call upon Him in Whom they have not believed?
[Notice that in order to call upon the name of the Lord unto salvation one must believe in the gospel of salvation as it says in verse 14: And now the key to understanding what Scripture means by the phrase "Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved"]:
(v. 14a) How, then, can they call on the One they have not believed in ?"
[So part and parcel of calling on the name of the Lord unto salvation is to believe in Him unto eternal life. We are back again to faith alone in Christ alone. Another way to explain salvation by faith alone in Christ alone is salvation by calling on, i.e., relying on, the name of the Lord. When you call upon someone to help you it is that you trust in him to come to your aid. Inherent in your calling upon that someone is the essential faith that he can and will help you. So, in essence, to call on the name of the Lord unto salvation is to believe in Christ as Savior, that He alone will make provision for you to have eternal life with Him in heaven. And that is the essential gospel message!]
[REPENT] The word which is translated "repent" in Scripture relative to salvation does not refer to feeling sorry for one's sins nor does it require a change in behavior. There is another Greek word in Scripture, "metamElomai", which is often rendered "repent" in English, and means to feel sorry, to experience remorse, (2 Cor 7:8; Heb 7:21). This word is never found in a salvation passage.The word "repentance" in salvation passages is translated from the Greek word "metanoias" which means a turn about, a deliberate change of mind resulting in a change of direction in thought. Relative to God's revealed Word: when one believes a fact, one turns from doubt or unbelief to faith in that revealed truth. It comes from the combination of the Greek word meta meaning to change and the Greek word noias meaning the mind, the understanding. The sphere of this word is therefore limited to within the mind. A change in behavior may result from a change in mind but such is an added concept and must therefore be part of an additional expression of words. Therefore metanoias in and of itself does NOT include or imply a change of behavior until additional words are added to state or imply such a change in behavior.
[Vines, (Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, W.E. Vine, Revell Publishing, Old Tappan, New Jersey, 1981, pp. 279-280), states]:
"METANOEO... lit. to perceive afterwards (meta, after, implying change, noeo, to perceive; [comes from the Greek noun] nous, the mind, the seat of moral reflection), in contrast to pronoeo, to perceive beforehand, hence signifies to change one's mind or purpose..." ).
So in order to turn to Christ for forgiveness of sins...which means that you BELIEVE that He can and will forgive you ...you must turn from your rejection of Him - from the belief that your sins are something you yourself can and will deal with in your own way and not God's way. So instead of rejecting Christ you turn to faith placed alone in Him alone as Savior - that is God's way of dealing with your sins. That is what the Bible defines as 'repentance for the forgiveness of sins':
[Compare Acts 19:4]:
"Paul said, 'John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the One coming after him, that is, Jesus.' " [Compare Acts 10:43]:
"All the prophets testify about Him [Jesus Christ, v. 39] that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name."
[Compare Acts 3:19]:
"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.."
(Ref. Acts 2:38; Mt 3:11)
So the word "Repent" in Acts 3:19 and Acts 2:38 - metanoesate the imperative form of the Greek verb "metanoeo". And in Mt 3:11, the noun "repentance" is translated from the Greek word "metanoias". Both words mean a turn about, a deliberate change of mind resulting in a change of direction in thought, literally, to perceive afterwards. Scripture does teach that to repent is to turn from one's sin within the mind such that one now seeks for God to remedy the situation through faith in what Jesus Christ did on the cross.
Scripture establishes that salvation is a one step by faith in Christ as Personal Savior process. It is not by repentance and then faith. Scripture establishes that faith and the repentance that it refers to are synonymous. According to Scripture, repentance with respect to salvation is hearing the truth of the gospel and changing one's mind about believing it. So in effect, repentance and belief are two sides of the same coin. One does not believe in the gospel of salvation unless one has changed one's mind............. i.e., repented ? "metanoeo", .........from not believing it to believing it.
One changes one's mind about not believing the gospel and then what happens is that one believes - two sides of the same coin. An unbeliever who has repented from disbelief of the gospel of salvation is now a believer.
Vines further defines repent as it is found in the New Testament more specifically as follows, (p. 281): '"In the N.T. the subject chiefly has reference to repentance from sin, and this change of mind involves both a turning from sin and a turning to God".
So the New Testament use of the word repent relative to salvation is restricted to an action which is within the mind - (especially since the stem of the word 'repent' in the Greek is the word for the mind or the seat of moral reflection).
Therefore the phrase 'turn from sin relative to the word repent = "metanoeo" cannot be anything other than an activity which is restricted to within the mind. The New Testament definition of turning from sin relative to salvation therefore is a mental adjustment in which one turns from thinking that one does not have a sin problem...
(Some consider themselves relatively more moral than others and therefore God doesn't have a problem with them. There are 'worse' offenders than themselves. Others state that they are not doing anything so seriously wrong that God should be concerned about them. They're doing the best that they can and that's all they think that God expects. Still others feel that their sins are something that they themselves can and will deal with - often with a system of works which includes water baptism, church going, asking for forgiveness, etc., etc. And still others who are born into a family such as being a descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, think that God will automatically favor them because of this).
...to the attitude that they are helpless and hopeless sinners before God and must turn to God's mercy for forgiveness through faith alone in His Son alone:
[Titus 3:5]:
"He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit."
[J. Dwight Pentecost states in his book, "Things Which Become SOUND DOCTRINE", Revell, Co., Westwood, N.J., 1965, p. 71]:
[The] word 'turning' gives us this basic concept that we have been considering [relative to the meaning of the word 'repent' in the New Testament]. There was a change in attitude, a change of mind.... [For example, the people of Thessalonica to whom Paul preached had known no God but idols]... Then Paul came to them to present the truth of God. They turned from their idols to believe the truth that had been revealed, and the Apostle says that the act gave them salvation...
[1 Thes 1:9]:
"For they themselves [believers from other parts of the world, (v. 8)] report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God."]
...As a consequence they waited 'for His Son from heaven, Whom He raised from the dead, even [that is to say] Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.' (I Thessalonians 1:10). In the passage, the change of mind was not the precursory step to salvation. It is not the first of several steps to salvation. It is not a prerequisite for salvation. Rather, salvation depends upon believing, and believing involves repudiating the false teaching that one espoused, and holding to the revealed truth of the Word of God. From Scripture, then, we see that salvation is predicated upon faith. Faith involves the repudiation, or turning from all falsehood, from every false basis of salvation, from every false hope, and turning to accept from God the gift of salvation through His Son. But salvation is not dependent upon the work of repentance; rather, it depends upon the faith that involves repentance.
Salvation will be preceded by repentance. The one who turns to God accepts God's judgment upon sin, accepts the fact of his need of a Saviour, accepts the fact of his guilt, accepts the fact of his lostness apart from Christ, accepts the fact of his helplessness. He turns from all self-righteousness in which he trusted, turns from his own works, turns from his church as a means of dispensing salvation, and [in this one time process of turning, he] turns to the Lord Jesus Christ, accepts the fact of God's judgment upon sin and sinners, and by faith receives Jesus Christ as the One Who is judged for him [all of this in the one time process of turning - of changing his mind - of repenting].
SALVATION IS DEPENDANT UPON THE OBJECT OF ONES FAITH NOT UPON SUPPOSED DIFFERENCES IN THE QUALITY OF THAT FAITH:
[Charles C. Bing, cont.]:
"...These pictures of faith all denote receptivity, agreement, or trust. All are essentially simple activities and essentially passive. None communicates the idea of merit, work, effort, or achievement. Neither do they communicate an exchange of one's life or the ongoing submission of one's life to Jesus as Master in order to obtain eternal life.
When we observe the clear statements in John about the condition for salvation, the effect of this condition, and the pictures of this condition, we conclude that John presents faith alone in Christ alone as the only condition for salvation...
It is extremely significant that we do not see qualifiers with the word believe. John does not condition salvation on whether one 'really believes' or 'truly believes.' Neither does he speak of 'genuine faith,' 'real faith,' or 'effectual faith.' There is only one kind of faith. One either believes in something or he does not. Therefore, those who speak of 'spurious faith' or 'false faith' are psychologizing faith as the Scripture neither does, nor provides a basis for doing.
In contrast, John does use qualifiers to distinguish the real from the fraudulent in other concepts. He speaks of the 'true light' (1:9), 'true bread' (6:32), 'true vine' (15:1), 'true worshipers' (4:23), and 'true God' (17:3). When he shows that even the unsaved can be referred to as disciples (6:60-64), he later calls the saved who adhere to His word 'disciples indeed' (8:31)...
Neither do we find condition for salvation stated as surrender or commitment of all of one's life to Jesus as Master. Salvation is totally and absolutely free and is not conditioned on human merit. It is what one receives, not earns, merits, or barters for. It will be given freely to whoever asks (4:10)....
[Jn 4:10]:
"Jesus answered and said to her, 'If you knew the gift of God, and Who it is Who says to you, '''Give Me a drink,''' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.' "] So the issue is not the quality or quantity of an individual's faith, but to Whom that faith is directed which will produce eternal life. If it is directed toward Jesus Christ: eternal life.
Notice that the issue is not what the Samaritan woman at the well believed but in Whom she believed - Who He was.
[SALVATION IS NOT CONDITIONED UPON CONTINUAL OBEDIENCE]
Similarly, we do not find salvation conditioned on continual obedience. If anything, we could argue that John's Gospel purposefully introduces us to those who believed in Jesus as Savior, but were less than fully committed as disciples or were partially obeying Him. Martha believed and was obviously saved (11:27; and we can assume Mary and Lazarus were too), but there is no indication that she followed Christ in the fullest sense of leaving home and family. Less than full confession and commitment are also found in the 'secret disciple,' Joseph of Arimathea (19:38). Some would argue that Nicodemus was also in this category (cf. 19:39). In addition, the Jewish rulers mentioned in 12:42 believed in Christ, but did not confess Him publicly for fear of being ostracized by the other Jewish leaders."
Furthermore, just as milk is milk before anything is added to it and so adding something like chocolate to it merely changes it into chocolate + milk, i.e., chocolate milk, so faith does not need works added to it in order to become faith. It already IS faith. Once works are added then the faith becomes faith + works - the works being an expression of that faith which already existed in the first place; that faith being all that was needed to result in eternal life, (Eph 1:13-14; 2:8-9).
The final authority as to whether works do play a part in an individual's salvation must, however, come from God's Word:
[Ro 4:1-5]:
(v. 1) "What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?
(v. 2) For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about; but not before God.
[So justification unto eternal life before God does NOT include any kind of works - whether meritorious or not. This verse says that Abraham's works justified him before men, not before God, that he was a saved man - saved unto eternal life. Therefore, God is the One Who justifies unto eternal life, not men - and it is by faith alone as it says in the next verse]:
(v. 3) What does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and [as a result of his belief - not anything he did] it was credited to him as righteousness. [Ref. Gen 15:6]
(v. 4) Now to the one who works [for salvation], his wage is not reckoned as a favor [i.e., grace] but as what is due. [thus canceling out the grace basis of salvation, (Eph 2:8-9), and remaining under condemnation] (v. 5) But to the one who does not work, [for salvation] but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith [without works] is reckoned as righteousness."
[Compare Titus 3:5]:
"He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit"
So if ANYTHING is done by an individual other than God with the result that salvation is supposed to be received then those actions are by definition attempts to receive eternal life meritoriously. Actions which will inevitably fail. The concept of all works toward one's salvation being meritorious cannot be changed unless the meanings of words which God has inspired to be used in the Bible can be arbitrarily redefined contrary to the intention of the Almighty Himself, (Ro 4:3-5; Titus 3:5).
And then there are those who require confession - even in public - of Jesus as Lord in order to be saved. This false concept is 'extracted' from Scripture by taking Romans 10:9-10 out of context. But this passage actually tells a different story:
(Ro 10:9 NAS) 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.
(Ro 10:10 Greek) "Kardia .......gar pisteuetai
..............................."With heart for .[one] believes (3sing pres)
eis ...........dikaiosunEn ...stomati ................de ....
to [for] .righteousness .with [the] mouth and
homologeitai .........................eis ...........sOtErian"
[one] confesses .(3sing pres) to [for] .salvation"
(Ro 10:10 NKJV) For with the heart [one] believes for righteousness, and with the mouth [one confesses] for salvation"
(Ro 3:21) '''But now a Righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. (Ro 3:22) This Righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, (Ro 3:23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Ro 3:24) and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus... (Ro 4:5 NAS) But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him Who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness. (Ro 4:23 NAS) Now not for his [Abraham's] sake only was it written that it was reckoned to him, (Ro 4:24 NAS) but for our sake also, to whom it will be reckoned, as those who believe in Him Who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, (Ro 4:25 NAS) [He] who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification (Ro 5:8 ASV) But God commendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Ro 5:9 NKJV) Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him... (Ro 10:9 NAS) 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. (Ro 10:10 NKJV) For with the heart [one] believes for righteousness, and with the mouth [one confesses] for salvation''' =
Just as in Ro 3:22;
4:3-5; 5:8-9, it is stipulated that a Righteousness from God for
eternal life is credited to one when one expresses a moment of faith
alone in Jesus Christ alone to provide it through His blood sacrifice
atonement for mankind's sins so that this righteousness results in
qualifying one to be saved from God's eternal wrath for eternal life; 
so the phrase "For with the heart one believes for righteousness," in
Ro 10:10a has salvation from God's eternal wrath for eternal life
received even before one has a chance to confess Jesus as Lord.
(Ro 3:21) "But now a Righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. (Ro 3:22) This Righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, (Ro 3:23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Ro 3:24) and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (v. 25a NAS) Whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith [for a display]. (v. 25b NAS) This [display] was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; (v. 26 NAS) for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.... (v. 9:30 NKJV) What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; (v. 10:4 NKJV) For Christ is the end of ... law [rules of behavior] for righteousness to everyone who believes." =
To confess Jesus as
Lord implies that an individual's being and lifestyle is compatible
with the Righteousness of Jesus Christ and His Lordship. Hence, in
order for an individual to truly confess Jesus as Lord, there cannot be
any unrighteousness, (sin), for which that individual is held
accountable at the time of confession. The dilemma is that since all
men have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God, (Ro
3:23), no individual can of his own accord truly confess
Jesus as Lord at any time. On the other hand, through a moment of faith
alone in Christ's atoning sacrifice for the sins of all mankind, an
individual is justified, i.e., credited with an eternal Righteousness
from God, (Ro 3:21-26), which forgives all of that individual's sins -
past, present and future, relative to eternal life forever and cleanses
that individual from the accountability of temporal sins up to that
time of the moment of faith; whereupon that individual is for the
moment in a position of temporal righteousness and fellowship with the
Lord. They can truly confess Jesus as Lord by the grace of God.
Although eternal life is secure forever no matter what on account of
its eternality and our Lord's once for all atonement for sins, past,
present and future for all mankind, (Ro 3:21-26 );
forgiveness for temporal blessings and fellowship with the Lord for
believers occur only during those moments when the individual is not
held accountable for temporal sins. At those moments the believer can
truly confess in his temporal life Jesus as Lord.
It has already been established in Romans that the nature of man, believer and non-believer alike, is of one who has sinned and constantly falls short of the glory of God, (cf. Ro 3:21-23); hence God's provision through His Son's atonement also provides for forgiveness of temporal sins and purification from all unrighteousness at the moment when acknowledgment of them is made as part of ones confession of Jesus as Lord.
On the other hand, Jesus Christ will always be Lord of that individual's eternal life, especially in the sense of its preservation.
And when there is temporal sin which is unaccounted for, confession of Jesus as Lord is not valid until that temporal sin is forgiven relative to the relieving of the consequences of temporal destruction even premature physical death in the temporal life. So the first step for being in a position to confess Jesus as Lord is to be justified for eternal life through a moment of faith alone in Christ alone.
(Ro 4:23 NAS) '''Now not for his [Abraham's] sake only was it written that it was reckoned to him, (Ro 4:24 NAS) but for our sake also, to whom it will be reckoned, as those who believe in Him Who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, (Ro 4:25 NAS) [He] who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification... (Ro 10:4 NKJV) For Christ is the end of ... law [rules of behavior] for righteousness [for eternal life] to everyone who believes... (Ro 10:6 NAS) But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' (that is, to bring Christ down), (Ro 10:7 NAS) or 'Who will descend into the abyss?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). (Ro 10:8 NAS) But what does it say? 'The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart' (that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, (Ro 10:9 NAS) 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. (Ro 10:10 NKJV) For with the heart [one] believes for righteousness, and with the mouth [one confesses] for salvation" ''' =
Notice that the conjunction "that" which joins Ro 10:8 with Ro 10:9,
(v. 8) " 'The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart' (that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, (v. 9 NAS) that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart (mind) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved,"
continues the context of Ro 10:1-8 into verse 9. Verse 9 specifically stipulates a specific point from the preaching of the "word of faith" by Paul and others mentioned in verse eight: salvation from temporal destruction and from premature physical death of individuals who confess with their mouths Jesus as Lord and believe in their hearts (minds) that God raised Him from the dead. Hence believers being faithful to the Lordship of Jesus Christ are in view.
The Greek word "homologEsEs" in the phrase:
"ean homologEsEs en ....tO stomati sou ..kurion Iesoun"
"If ...you confess ....with the mouth .your Lord ...Jesus"
rendered "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord" in the NAS in Ro 10:9 comes from the root words 'homos' meaning 'same' (from which we get the English word homogeneous), and the Greek word 'logo' meaning 'to speak'. The word literally means to say the same thing, i.e., to acknowledge what is already understood and thus on the heart = the mind, that Jesus is Lord of ones life. Hence one who truly confesses Jesus as Lord will have it in ones mind that Jesus is Lord at those moments when one is acknowledging his inevitable shortcomings before the Lord hence enabling the Lord's direction in ones life. Since a true confession with ones mouth must reflect the reality that for the moment of confession one is faithful to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, then a believer must be in view in this passage.
Since unbelievers have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God as all men do, (cf. Ro 3:23), and since they do not have the righteousness from God credited to their account because they never believed on Christ to receive it, then unbelievers cannot confess Jesus as Lord at any time. Unbelievers must become believers via a moment of faith alone in Christ alone to be credited with an eternal righteousness from God for eternal life (cf. Ro 3:21-24); and then they will be in a position to trust in the Lord relative to being Lord of their temporal lives hence qualifying them to confess Jesus as Lord.
The second and third phrases of Ro 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," corroborate that believers only are in view. For to believe that Jesus was raised by God from the dead implies that the individual believes that an eternal righteousness from God for eternal life will come through a moment of faith alone in Christ alone, i.e., the sacrifice of His life for sins wherein God then raised Him from the dead as proof of that sacrifice, (cf. Ro 4:23-25). This is corroborated by Ro 10:4 and 10:10 where ones faith in Christ provides a righteousness from God for eternal life, (cf. Ro 3:21-24).
(Ro 4:23 NAS) "Now not for his [Abraham's] sake only was it written that it was reckoned to him, (Ro 4:24 NAS) but for our sake also, to whom it will be reckoned, as those who believe in Him Who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, (v. 4:25 NAS) [He] who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification... (Ro 10:4 NKJV) For Christ is the end of ... law [rules of behavior] for righteousness to everyone who believes... (Ro 10:6 NAS) But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' (that is, to bring Christ down), (Ro 10:7 NAS) or 'Who will descend into the abyss?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). (Ro 10:8 NAS) But what does it say? 'The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart' (that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, (Ro 9 NAS) 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. (Ro 10:10 NKJV) For with the heart [one] believes for righteousness, and with the mouth [one confesses] for salvation" ''' =
(Ro 10:10 Greek) "Kardia .......gar pisteuetai
..............................."With heart for .[one] believes (3sing pres)
eis ...........dikaiosunEn ...stomati ................de ....
to [for] .righteousness .with [the] mouth and
homologeitai .........................eis ...........sOtErian"
[one] confesses .(3sing pres) to [for] .salvation"
Verse 10 explains
verse 9 more specifically and in the proper sequential order: first,
one believes to receive the righteousness from God for eternal life
corroborating that believing that God raised Christ from the dead in
verse 9 implies one has expressed faith that Christ paid the penalty
for ones sins to receive an eternal righteousness from God for eternal
life, (cf. Ro 4:23-25 ); then one confesses with the mouth Jesus
as Lord to demonstrate faithfulness to the Lordship of Jesus Christ for
a salvation from temporal destruction and premature physical death.
Notice that two kinds of salvation are in view: (1) Salvation from eternal destruction, (death), via a moment of faith alone in Christ alone to receive an eternal righteousness from God for eternal life; and (2) salvation from temporal destruction and premature physical death via confession with ones mouth that Jesus is Lord which confession must reflect faithfulness to His Lordship.
[Compare Jn 3:18]:
"He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."
(Ref. Gen 3:15; Gal 3:22; Jn 3:16, 36; 5:24; 6:47; 20:31; Eph 1:13-14; 2:8-9; Acts 16:30; Ro 1:16; 3:21-28; Titus 3:5).
There are many deeds that a believer often does alongside of or immediately after that moment when one expressed saving faith in Christ - water baptism, Lord's Supper, going to church, confession of Christ as Savior, prayer and many other things some of which are more mundane - such as going home, eating dinner, shopping for food, filling the gas tank up with gasoline, etc. If one were to believe for the first time in Christ as Savior and go to Krogers to shop for food then one would be saved. Shopping for food at Krogers had nothing to do with that person's salvation yet it is included in this particular statement of what it takes to be saved. What is important in statements such as these is to determine what is essential to salvation and what is not; and not to jump to the conclusion that everything in the statement is vital to eternal life.
Consider these passages of Scripture in light of the above:
[Mk 16:16]:
" 'He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.' "
Notice that this passage indicates that if one believes and is water baptized one shall be saved. From the first half of verse 16, one can conclude that salvation is gained in one or more of three ways: either by faith alone, water baptism alone or faith plus water baptism. The second half of verse 16 strongly points toward faith alone in Christ alone and it definitely states that faith alone in Christ alone is at least one way to heaven and probably the only way. Verse 16b indicates that salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone because it states that the only way to condemnation is to never believe - to disbelieve. There is no mention that never being water baptized will result in condemnation. This would be a serious omission if water baptism were indeed essential to salvation. This verse establishes that the ONLY basis for condemnation is UNBELIEF.
The subject of Christian water baptism is a highly controversial one. Many insist that it is a requirement for being saved.
Dave Hunt states, ('THE BEREAN CALL' periodical, Bend, Oregon, March 1995 issue):
"Then what about Mark 16:16: 'He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved'? All who believe the gospel are saved, so of course all who believe and are baptized are saved; but that does not say that baptism saves or that it is essential for salvation.
Scores of verses declare, with no mention of baptism, that salvation comes by believing the gospel: '[I]t pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.' (1 Cor 1:21; see also Jn 3:16, 18, 36, 5:24; Acts 10:43, 13:38-39, 16:341; Rom 1:16, 3:28, 4:24, 5:1; 1 cor 15:1-5; Eph 2:8, etc.). Not one verse, however, says that baptism saves.
Numerous verses declare that whosoever does not believe is lost, but not one verse declares that whosoever is not baptized is lost. Surely the Bible would make it clear that believing in Christ without being baptized cannot save if that were the case, yet it never says so! Instead, we have examples of those who believed and were saved without being baptized, such as the thief on the cross and the Old Testament saints (Enoch, Abraham, Joseph, Daniel, et al.) to whom Christian baptism was unknown... [Ref Hebrews chapter 11]."
[Compare Jn 6:40]:
"For this is the will of My Father, that every one who beholds the Son, and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him up on the last day."
If one concludes that water baptism, (Mk 16:16), or confession, (Ro 10:9-10), is an essential part of salvation, by extraction of a verse out of context then we must use the same extraction process in Jn 6:40, above, and conclude that only those living at the time of Christ, and that only those who actually saw Him can be saved.
Consider Mk 1:4 which, when taken out of context, appears to teach that forgiveness of sins comes only through John the Baptist's water baptism - which was strictly for Jews, leaving the Gentile world totally condemned without a chance for salvation:
[Mk 1:4]:
"John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins."
In the same way, one might take verse 6 out of context and conclude that only the descendants of Abraham will be eligible for salvation. Most Jews believe this way:
[Gen 15:4-6]:
(v. 4) "Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 'This man will not be your heir; but One shall come forth from your own body, He shall be you Heir.'
(v. 5 ) And He [God] took him outside and said, 'Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.' And He said to him, 'So shall your descendants be.'
(v. 6) Then he [Abraham] believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness."
One might even falsely conclude in Matthew chapter 10 that Gentiles are entirely excluded from being saved by our Lord Himself:
[Mt 10:5-7, 32]:
(v. 5) "These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them, saying, 'Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans;
[One might conclude here that salvation was exclusively for the Jews]
(v. 6) but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
(v. 7) And as you go, preach, saying, '''The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'''
(v. 32) Every one therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father Who is in heaven.' "
So by the method one uses in falsely interpreting Romans 10:9-10 in order to conclude that one must confess that Jesus Christ is Lord in order to be saved one must also conclude that one must be a Jew who saw the Lord Jesus Christ as a Man 2000 years ago, (Jn 6:40), and one must have been water baptized by John the Baptist himself, (Mk 1:4), and have been a believer in the Abrahamic covenant as well as a descendant of Abraham, (Gen 15:6), etc. etc. This is however only the beginning. There are dozens of passages which, one might conclude, add even more to what must be done in order to be saved. The truth is, however a different matter. Paul answered it best when the frightened jailkeeper in Philippi asked him:
[Acts 16:30b]:
"Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' "
[And Paul's simple and complete answer was]:
[Acts 16:31]:
" 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved....' "
So it is belief and belief alone in Christ alone as Savior that is the way to heaven - nothing else can be added. If anything else was required, then Paul was lying to the frightened Philippean jailer. Anything else such as confession of Jesus as Lord, water baptism, Lord's Supper, leading a repentant lifestyle, etc. etc. may immediately accompany a person's first time expression of faith in Christ; yet these spiritually important things in a believer's life also contribute nothing toward that believer's salvation, (Eph 2:8-9).
All of the passages in Scripture relative to salvation might be likened to following a recipe. Many recipes contain nonessential instructions such as suggesting a number of ways to serve the results. Once a recipe has been followed and a successful outcome is obtained, further action such as serving it on a dish in some special way merely demonstrates what has already occurred. In like manner, once salvation has occurred by a single moment of trusting alone in Christ alone as Savior, (Jn 3:16, Eph 2:8-9), actions such as public confession, water baptism, divine good works, etc., serve to demonstrate to man what has already occurred. So the water baptism or the confession that Jesus Christ is Lord demonstrates the successful results of the faith which has been exercised in Christ as Savior, such faith resulting in salvation even before there is the slightest confession or any other deed.
The passage which includes Ro 10:9-10 therefore indicates that it is faith alone which results in salvation and thereafter what is expected to take place in the believer's life, (but not guaranteed), is confession that Jesus is Lord. The point here is that an if-then passage in Scripture, (and in every day conversation for that matter), may include statements in the 'if' portion of the passage that are not necessarily essential to the outcome of the 'then' portion of the passage.
The key to understanding what is essential is context and the examination of parallel passages which rule out the non-essential elements. There are numerous passages which clearly stipulate that faith alone in Christ alone as Savior is the exclusive way to salvation unto eternal life: Jn 3:16, 36; 5:24; 6:35-40, 47; 20:31; Ro 1:16; 3:21-28; 4:4-5; Eph 1:3-14; 2:8-9; Acts 2:21, 38; 10:43; 13:38-39; 16:30-31; Gal 3:22; 2 Thes 2:13-14; 2 Tim 1:9; Isa 28:16, 49:23; Joel 2:32; Titus 3:5, etc.
Note that the rest of the passage in Romans chapter 10 indicates that the exclusive requirement to receive eternal life is indeed faith alone in Christ alone:
[Ro 10:11-17]:
[Verses 11, 13 & 14 of Romans 10, which follow reiterate that once an individual believes in Christ as Personal Savior - nothing else being done - he at once is saved unto eternal life]:
(v. 11) "For the Scripture says, 'WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NEVER BE PUT TO SHAME.' [i.e, 'Whoever believes in Christ will be saved unto eternal life, never to go to Hell] (v. 12) For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him;
(v. 13) for 'WHOEVER WILL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.'
(v. 14a) How then shall they call upon Him in Whom they have not believed?"
"Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." is not simply crying out to the Lord.
Notice that in order to call upon the name of the Lord unto salvation one must believe in the name of the Lord, i.e., trust in Christ, as Savior, as it says in verses 13 & 14. So another way to explain salvation by faith alone in Christ alone is salvation by calling on, i.e., relying on, the name of the Lord. When you call upon someone to help you it is that you trust in him to come to your aid. Inherent in your calling upon someone is the faith that he can and will help you. So, in essence, to call on the name of the Lord unto salvation is to believe in Christ as Savior, that He alone will make provision for you to have eternal life with Him in heaven.
[OBEYING THE GOSPEL - BELIEVING IN IT]
Finally, in answer to those, after all of this, who still maintain that there are passages in God's Word which demand an obedience of works by an individual in order to be saved unto eternal life: [Heb 5:9b]:
"He [Jesus] became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him."
["obey" = "hupakouousin" = This word which is translated obey is Greek, however, it is a word reflecting the Jewish author's mentality which encompasses not just obedience in deed but alsoobedience of faith. Some say that salvation requires one to obey in deeds due to a verse like this with the word "obey" in it. But in the Jewish mind if you trust or believe then you thereby obey. The ten commandments, for example, prohibit a number of mental attitude sins, such as coveteousness. To disobey one of these mental attitude commandments is to have that mental attitude of coveteousness - no actual deeds required! If one believed that coveteousness was a sin and did not practice such a mental attitude, then one was obeying that commandment within one's mind, and without any actions. Therefore, faith in Christ as Savior is indeed obeying the Gospel of salvation by simply exercising a mental assent - a simple trust in Christ.
In the Gospel of John, our Lord explicitly states that the work that one must do for eternal life is exclusively a matter of faith. So to obey the Lord unto eternal salvation must necessarily be to obey His command to trust alone in Him alone for eternal life, no deeds required:
[Jn 6:27-29]:
(v. 27) "[Jesus answered] Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval. (v. 28) Then they asked Him, 'What must we do to do the works God requires?'
(v. 29) Jesus answered, 'The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.' " So to do the work that is required unto eternal life is simply to believe in Jesus Christ.
[Compare 1 Pet 1:17-23]:
(v. 17) "Since you [believers, v. 18] call on a Father Who judges each man's work impartially, [relative to rewards, 1 Cor 3:11-15] live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.
(v. 18) For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers.
[Notice the word "redeemed". The subject is salvation. Peter is reminding Jewish believers that they were saved not by things nor by their "empty way of life", i.e., by the deeds of the Law handed down by their forefathers but they were saved by the blood of Jesus Christ]:
(v. 18 cont.) For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers. (v. 19) but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
(v. 20) He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.
[And the basis upon which the blood of Christ saved you, Peter says to fellow believers, is faith, i.e., belief in the gospel of salvation]:
(v. 21) Through Him you believe in God, Who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him, and so your faith and hope are in God [relative to salvation unto eternal life]
(v. 22) Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart."
["Now that you have purified yourselves" = now that you have received the gift of perfect righteousness unto eternal life by faith alone in Christ alone, (Rom 3:21-24), i.e., now that you have received purification unto eternal life through Jesus Christ.
[1 Pet 1:17-23 cont.]:
(v. 21) Through Him you believe in God, Who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him, and so your faith and hope are in God [relative to salvation unto eternal life]
(v. 22) Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart."
"Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth" = Now that you have received perfect righteousness, i.e., purification unto eternal life by "obeying the truth" = by believing in the gospel of salvation, (cp v. 21).
So obeying the truth according to Scripture is believing in it. Verse 21 states that believing in God, in what He did relative to His Son: His Son's death, burial, resurrection and glorifiication (the Gospel of salvation) will result in purification eternal life. And verse 22 describes this action of believing in the gospel of salvation as "obeying the truth."
[THE FAITH EXPRESSED UNTO ETERNAL LIFE IS A GIFT SO SALVATION CANNOT BE OF WORKS]
Scripture says that even the faith that a believer exercises in Christ is given that believer - so the believer cannot say that he even provided his own hope -his own faith:
[Phil 1:29]:
"For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for Him.."
So, who gets the glory - the credit for exercising faith in Christ as Savior? - (NOT THE BELIEVER):
GOD AND GOD ALONE
9) ASSURANCE OF AN INDIVIDUAL'S SALVATION IS A RESULT OF THE ETERNAL SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER
~~~1jn5v13
II) 1 JN 5:9-13
ASSURANCE OF YOUR SALVATION
A) [1 Jn 5:9]:
(v. 9) "We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which He has given about His Son."
1) THE TESTIMONY OF GOD IS GREATER THAN MAN'S AND IT IS ABOUT HIS SON
This verse states that the testimony of God is superior to any man's because God is Who He is:
He is Sovereign and Almighty. And the particular testimony that author John points to here is the testimony of God which He has given about His son relative to trusting in Him unto salvation unto eternal life to which the next 3 verses attest]:
B) [1 Jn 5:10]:
(v. 10) "Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about His Son."
1) BELIEVING IN THE SON OF GOD IN THIS CONTEXT = BELIEVING IN HIM AS CHRIST, AS ONE'S MESSIAH TO SAVE YOU UNTO ETERNAL LIFE
The context of this has already been established in the first verse of chapter 5:
a) [Compare 1 Jn 5:1a]:
"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God...."
[Kenneth S. Wuest states, ('Ephesians and Colossians in the Greek New Testament', Wm B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, Mich, 1963, p15)]:
" 'Christ' is the transliteration of christos which means 'anointed'....
...In the Church Epistles, the word does not refer to our Lord in His official capacity of the Messiah of the Jewish nation, but as The Anointed of God, the Person chosen from the Godhead to be the anointed Prophet, Priest, and King to accomplish the purposes of God in the plan of salvation."
So to believe that Jesus is the Christ is to believe that His purpose as the Christ = to be your Savior unto eternal life, is true resulting in the reception of becoming born of God, i.e., saved unto eternal life:
b) [Compare Jn 1:12-13]:
(v. 12) "Yet to all who received Him [Christ, (v. 1)], to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God -
(v. 13) children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God."
2) BELIEVING IN THE SON OF GOD AS CHRIST = MESSIAH TO SAVE YOU PRODUCES THE RESULT OF HAVING THE TESTIMONY OF GOD IN ONE'S HEART, I.E., ONE'S MIND
"Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony [of God] in his heart." =
Believing in the Son of God [to save you, (vv. 1, 11)] produces the result of having this testimony of God in one's 'heart', (i.e., in one's mind, ref. Heb 4:12). This means that one accepts the truth in what God has said, i.e., His "testimony" about His Son relative to eternal life. And Scripture teaches that God will then deliver on His promise of eternal life to that individual who believes, (Jn 3:16; 36; 5:24; 6:47; etc.).
3) ANYONE WHO BELIEVES IN THE SON [TO PROVIDE ETERNAL LIFE FOR HIM] HAS THIS TESTIMONY OF GOD'S IN HIS HEART = MIND = MENTAL UNDERSTANDING
"has this testimony in his
heart" = in his mind, (Jn 12:40; Eph 4:18; Mt 9:4; Heb 4:12, etc. ..)
Anyone who believes that the Son will provide eternal life for him has this testimony in his 'heart' such that it is a part of his mental understanding that he is now saved unto eternal life.
B cont.) [1 Jn 5:10 cont.]:
(v. 10 cont.) "Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about His Son."
4) ON THE OTHER HAND ANYONE WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE GOD'S TESTIMONY ABOUT HIS SON MAKES GOD OUT TO BE A LIAR
"Anyone who does not believe has made Him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about His Son." =
Disbelieving the testimony of God that eternal life is secured solely through believing in the Son of God is tantamount to calling God a liar. So to be saved one must believe in the testimony of God about His Son relative to eternal life. Anything less and anything more than a one time moment of accepting the testimony of God about His Son relative to eternal life, i.e., believing in it would make this verse untrue. And the next verse tells us what that testimony is which individuals must believe in order to have eternal life]:
C) [1 Jn 5:11]:
(v. 11) And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
1) THE TESTIMONY OF GOD ABOUT HIS SON IS THAT GOD HAS GIVEN THE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE TO MANKIND THROUGH HIS SON
Notice that eternal life is described as something that is given, i.e., a gift, (cp Eph 2:8), to mankind and that gift it is established is in the possession of the individual, i.e., given to him, when he believes the testimony of God about eternal life being through His Son. So believing the testimony of God about His Son incorporates such testimony within the mind of the individual, (v. 10), resulting in that individual having the Son, i.e., having eternal life]:
D) [1 Jn 5:12]:
(v. 12) He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life."
1) HAVING THE SON = BELIEVING IN THE TESTIMONY OF GOD ABOUT HIS SON = HAVING ETERNAL LIFE
"He who has the Son has life" = He who believes in God's testimony about His Son - that the Son will provide eternal life for him if he merely believes in the Son doing this, has eternal life, (Ref. v.10)
2) HE WHO DOES NOT HAVE THE SON = HAS NOT BELIEVED IN GOD'S TESTIMONY ABOUT HIS SON = DOES NOT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE
"He who does not have the Son of God does not have life." = To have the Son means to believe that He will provide eternal life for you. To not have the Son is to not take God at His Word, (i.e., believe), that the Son alone will provide eternal life for you. And he who has not believed in Christ as Savior "Does not have [eternal] life."
a) [Compare Jn 3:18]:
"He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already [unto condemnation], because he has not believed in the name of the One and only Son of God."
"believed in the name of" = believed in the capacity and willingness of God to grant eternal life as a gift - just for trusting alone in Him alone, (Jn 3:1-18; Ro 3:21-24).
3) IF YOU BELIEVE WHAT GOD HAS TESTIFIED TO ABOUT HIS SON THEN YOU WILL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE BECAUSE GOD SAYS SO
If you believe what God has testified to about His Son, then you will have eternal life because God says so. God being Who He is as it is clearly indicated in verse 9: a sovereign God Whose testimony is greater than man's, He will deliver. And John writes these verses about eternal life for the following reason]:
E) [1 Jn 5:13]:
(v. 13) I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you many know that you have eternal life."
1) JOHN'S MESSAGE OF ETERNAL LIFE WAS WRITTEN SO THAT ALL WHO BELIEVE IN THE NAME OF, I.E., THE CAPACITY OF, THE SON TO PROVIDE ETERNAL LIFE FOR THEM MAY KNOW THAT THEY HAVE ETERNAL LIFE
So, taking God at His Word about eternal life through His Son provides assurance that you do NOW possess the gift of life everlasting in heaven never to lose it, (cp. Eph 1:13-14).
Consider if one could know now at the point of faith alone in Christ alone that one is absolutely saved, then it obviously would not depend upon any future thoughts, words, or deeds of the believer only on the faithfulness of God to keep His promise.
10) UPON BELIEVING IN CHRIST AS SAVIOR THE INDIVIDUAL IMMEDIATELY BEGINS HAVING ETERNAL LIFE IN HIS MORTAL BODY - NEVER TO LOSE IT, SINCE IT IS ETERNAL
[Compare Jn 3:16]:
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."
"whoever believes" - "ho pisteuon" - nominative present participle, indicating one who is believing in Christ as Savior in the present tense resulting in a state of never perishing and having eternal life: "shall not perish" - "me appoletai" - aorist, active subjunctive, indicating a once for all time exclusion from perishing as a result of the present state of believing in Christ as Savior to become the believing one
"shall have eternal life" - "eche" - present subjunctive participle, indicating a continuous, forever state of having eternal life from the then present time period which began when the believing started. Note that eternal life would have to be a forever condition otherwise it would not be eternal life. If you think you can lose it, think again. It wouldn't be eternal. God is the Provider so it must be Eternal.
[Kenneth S. Wuest states, (Wuest's Word Studies, Vol. 3, 'Great Truths To Live By, Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Mich., 1992, p. 67)]:
"In the words, 'should not perish, but have everlasting life,' there is a radical change in tenses, from the aorist which speaks of a once-for-all act to the present subjunctive which speaks of a continuous state. The contrast is one between the final utter ruin and lost estate of the unbeliver, and the possession of eternal life as an enduring experience on the part of the believer."
In the same way that physical life is an intrinsic part of an individual, so eternal life once received becomes an intrinsic part of the individual when he believes in the Son of God - His payment for your sins - and thereby receives it.
[Jn 3:16]:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Notice that eternal life becomes the present possession of the individual the moment he expresses believing in the Son being given for him.
[Compare Jn 6:53-54]:
(v. 53) '''Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no [eternal] life in you.
[Notice that the word life refers to eternal life, (v. 58), and the context leading up to v. 53. This eternal life once received is described here as "in you," implying an intrinsic part of you]
(v. 54) Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
Since eternal life once received is "in you" implying an intrinsic part of you for eternity, then it is not portrayed in the Bible as occupying space in a particular part of your anatomy such that it can be removed and lost from within you and then recovered again.
Furthermore, the concept of eternal life existing outside of an individual is comparing apples and oranges. The concept of something cannot be compared to the possession of it. The concept of eternal life is one which is forever, everlasting, without end, of course; but the eternal life of a particular individual does not exist until he believes, at which time the eternal life cannot go out of existence because of some infraction and must by definition be an intrinsic part of that individual's existence forever. An individual's eternal life cannot be measured apart from the individual any more than an individual's physical life can be measured apart from the individual's physical existence. The concept of life can be discussed in general but that discussion does not apply to an individual who does not yet possess physical life or eternal life.
Finally, even if it could somehow be lost, it could not be described as eternal life - but life for the duration of time that it was an intrinsic part of that individual. Thus eternal life is eternally secure because it is defined as an intrinsic part of the individual for the duration of eternity.
But let's do a hypothetical test of this, assuming one can lose one's salvation, repent and recover it again:
A man lost his salvation ten years after he got saved. Later on he repented and regained eternal life, (if that were possible and it is not), at which time he dies. Hence is the length of his eternal life one eternity + ten years!?!
Consider that once physical life begins an individual exists. Once it leaves an individual, the individual ceases to exist as he originally began to exist, hence he is destroyed. Portions of that creation may and do continue to exist, but in a totally different format wherein the physical body is a mass of matter, dead, lifeless no longer containing a soul or spirit which the latter entities occupy other space. The context of the argument does not permit entering into this any more than you can say that water can lose its oxygen. Just as the oxygen is intrinsic to the existence of the water and losing it would destroy the water, albeit change it into something else which no longer functions as water, so taking away physical life from an individual destroys that individual such that he no longer exists as originally created. In the same way, once eternal life is received the individual is a new creation that cannot exist without that eternal life, it being an intrinsic part of that individual forever by definition. So it is not a viable argument to say one can lose something intrinsic as eternal life as if the individual would not be destroyed, no longer in existence and go back to the point he did not have eternal life as part of his intrinsic makeup. Recall that one is forever intrinisically in Christ, intrinsically part of His indestructible body at the point of faith in the gospel, sealed by the intrinsically indwelling Holy Spirit, (Eph 1:13-14). So how can one lose the life in Christ apart from destroying Christ? How can the eternal body of Christ be lost? How can the permanently indwelling Holy Spirit in one be destroyed?
11) A BELIEVER HAS BEEN SAVED COMPLETELY IN THE PAST WITH ONGOING PRESENT RESULTS FOREVER
[Eph 2:8-9]:
(v. 8) "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this [salvation = neuter gender] not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -
(v. 9) not by works, so that no one can boast."
"you have been saved.." = once saved always saved.
[Kenneth S. Wuest, 'Ephesians and Colossians in the Greek New Testament', Wm B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, Mich, 1963, 66-67]:
"Now comes the interjection...
["by grace you have been saved:]
...We have here in the Greek what is called a periphrastic construction...
[Paul deliberately uses a periphrastic construction, i.e., using an auxiliary verb = "este" have = been, 2nd pers., plur., pres. indicative, (statement of fact) along with "sesosmenoi" = saved rather than the normative inflected form of the verb to be saved in the past tense in order to stress the point of permanency]
..This [periphrastic construction] is used when the writer cannot get all of the details of action from one verbal form. So he uses two, a finite verb and a participle. The participle here is in the perfect tense, which tense speaks of an action that took place in past time and was completed in past time, having results existent in present time. The translation reads [more accurately] 'By grace have you been completely saved, with the present result that you are in a saved state of being'. The perfect tense speaks of the existence of finished results in present time. But Paul is not satisfied with showing the existence of finished results in present time. He wants to show the persistence of results through present time. So he uses the verb 'to be' in the present tense which gives durative force to the finished results. Thus, the full translation is, "By grace you have been saved in past time completely, with the result that you are in a state of salvation which persists through present time.' The unending state of the believer in salvation could not have been put in stronger or clearer language. The finished results of the past act of salvation are always present with the reader. His present state of salvation is dependent upon one thing and one thing only, his past appropriation of the Lord Jesus as Saviour [through that moment of faith alone in Christ alone]. His initial act of faith brought him salvation in its three aspects, justification, the removal of the guilt and penalty of sin and the impartation of a positive righteousness, Jesus Christ Himself, an act which occurs at the moment of believing, and a position that remains static for time and eternity [cp. Ro 3:21-28]; sanctification, positional, the act of the Holy Spirit taking the believing sinner out of the first Adam with his (Adam's) sin and death, and placing him in the Last Adam (Jesus Christ) with His righteousness and life, an act that occurs at the moment of believing [cp. Ro 5:15-19]; [and sanctification] progressive, the process by which the Holy Spirit eliminates sin from the experience of the believer and produces His fruit, gradually conforming him into the image of the Lord Jesus [cp. Ro 8:29], a process that goes on all through the life of a Christian and continues all through eternity, and which never is completed, for a finite creature can never equal an infinite one in any quality; and glorification, the act of the Holy Spirit, transforming the mortal bodies of believers into glorified, perfect bodies at the Rapture of the Church [cp. I Thess 4:13-18; I Cor 15:52-53]. The believer has had his justification, he is having his sanctification, and he is yet to have his glorification. The earnest of the Spirit guarantees to him his glorification [cp. Eph 1:13-14]."
12) SALVATION IS A GIFT WHICH BY DEFINITION IS UNCONDITIONAL AND THEREFORE IS ETERNALLY SECURE
[Eph 2:8-9]:
(v. 8) "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith - and this [salvation is] not from yourselves it is the gift of God"
"it is the gift of God..." = in order to drive home the point that salvation is solely of God, solely by His grace - IT IS DEFINED AS A GIFT. A gift is not given in exchange for any payment or promised actions in order to deserve it later on. A gift is not given in exchange for a promise - say to behave better or to make Jesus the Lord of your life or to be water baptized or to go to church, or to take the Lord's Supper, or to do some sort of penance, etc., etc., (compare Titus 3:5). A gift is not given under the condition of good behavior or it will be taken away.
THE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE WOULD THEN NOT BE A GIFT AT ALL. IT WOULD BE CALLED SOMETHING ELSE ...SOMETHING WITH THE WORD CONDITIONAL IN IT PERHAPS - OR THE WORD AGREEMENT - OR THE PHRASE 'CONTRACT WITH GOD'; AND GOD THEN WOULD NOT HAVE INSPIRED ALL OF THE AUTHORS OF SCRIPTURE TO DESCRIBE SALVATION AS HIS GRACE - GIFT OPERATION.
13) ETERNAL LIFE IS SPECIFICALLY DESCRIBED AS NOT OF ONESELF , NOT OF WORKS WHICH MAKES GOD THE SOLE AGENT IN ITS PROVISION - SECURING IT FOREVER
[Eph 2:8-9 cont.]:
(v. 8) "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith - and this [salvation is] not from yourselves it is the gift of God
(v. 9) not by works so that no one can boast."
Notice that Scripture emphasizes that salvation is not from yourself, not of works - NO CONTRIBUTION ALLOWED FOR ANY REASON - IT IS ALL FROM GOD!
14) SALVATION IS DEFINED AS IRREVOCABLE
Loss of salvation cannot happen since it is a gift and God's sovereign calling. So since God already unconditionally promised salvation to the newborn believer as a gift:
[Ro 11:29]:
"For God's gifts and His call are irrevocable."
When God calls you to be saved, you will be saved and you will stay saved, Amen!
15) GOD PERMANENTLY INDWELLS AND SEALS THE NEWBORN BELIEVER AS A GUARANTEE OF ETERNAL LIFE
God the Holy Spirit permanently indwells the believer at the point of that believer's trusting in Christ as his Personal Savior:
(v. 13) "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed you were marked in Him with a seal....
"seal" = A seal means something which is permanently affixed, not to be broken until the final act of salvation is accomplished - that of going to be with the Lord in heaven in a perfect state of righteousness - a perfect resurrection body.
Notice that at the point of believing the gospel of salvation, i.e., a moment of faith alone in Christ alone unto eternal life, (Jn 3:16; Eph 2:8-9), the Holy Spirit "included" the believer "in Christ" (i.e., into His Body, the Church, (1 Cor 12:12-13). The Holy Spirit Himself thus became the Mark of a Seal in the believer by actually indwelling the believer with His Personal Presence, i.e., Holy Spirit baptism. This action signifies God's absolute guarantee of the believer's inheritance of eternal life - his final stage of redemption into His perfect and eternal body, (1 Cor 15:51-54) and such action establishes that all believers are God's possession forever!!, (2 Cor 5:5; Eph 4:30)]
[Compare Eph 4:30]:
"And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God with Whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."
[Eph 1:13-14 cont.]:
(v. 13) "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
(v. 14) Who is a Deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those Who are God's possession to the praise of His glory."
"Having believed you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, Who is a Deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those Who are God's possession to the praise of His glory" =
God Himself seals the believer's eternal destiny with Him in heaven at the moment that that person trusts in Christ as his Personal Savior. He seals each believer "until the redemption of those who are God's possession" = until the experiential redemption of all believers when they finally receive their perfect bodies.
All believers are promised by God to be redeemed at the point of their trusting in Christ as Savior - this is called positional redemption: believers are permanently placed by God in the legal position of already having been saved. After this, in God's time, according to His plan of the ages, each believer will receive his resurrection body.
[Compare Eph 2:4-6]:
(v. 4) "But because of His great love for us, God, Who is rich in mercy,
(v. 5) made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved.
(v. 6) And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus."
[i.e., God judicially and positionally placed the believer with Christ in heaven at the point that that believer trusted in Christ as Savior]
[Eph 1:13-14 cont.]:
(v. 13) "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
(v. 14) Who is a Deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those Who are God's possession to the praise of His glory."
"until the redemption of those Who are God's possession to the praise of His glory." =
"those Who are God's possession." = that's you & I - as believers:
[Compare Jn 1:12]:
(v. 12) "Yet to all who received Him, to those Who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God
[Compare Ro 8:16]:
"The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children."
[Compare 2 Cor 1:21-22]:
(v. 21) "Now He Who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God.
(v. 22) Who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge."
16) BELIEVERS ARE NOW DESCRIBED AS GOD'S POSSESSION IMPLYING ETERNAL SECURITY
[Eph 1:13-14]:
"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, Who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession to the praise of His glory.
"until the redemption of those who are God's possession" =
"God's possession" = that's you & I - as believers.
17) BELIEVERS BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD, JOINING THE ETERNAL FAMILY OF GOD, IMPLYING ETERNAL SECURITY
[Compare Jn 1:1-12]:
(Jn 1:1 YLT) "In [the] beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (Jn 1:2 YLT) He [lit., This One] was in [the] beginning with God; (Jn 1:3 NAS) All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. (Jn 1:4 NAS) In Him was life, and the Life was the Light of men. (Jn 1:5 NKJV) And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (Jn 1:6 NIV) There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. (Jn 1:7 NKJV) This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through Him [the Light of men, the Life, the Word, (Jn 1:1-4)] might believe, (Jn 1:8 YLT) that one was not the Light, but - that he might testify about the Light. (Jn 1:9 NIV) The true Light that gives light to every man was coming into the world; (Jn 1:10 YLT) in the world He was, and the world through Him was made, and the world did not know Him: (Jn 1:11 NKJV) He came to His own [pl. = creation], and His own [sing. = people] did not receive Him. (Jn 1:12 YLT) But as many [individuals of His own creation, (Jn 1:11a)] as did receive Him to them He gave authority to become sons [lit., children] of God - to those believing in His name:" =
Note that at the moment of receiving the Word, the Life, the Light of Men, Jesus Christ, in a completed action instant of becomeing one who is the believer in His name, one receives forever the authority and eternally secure result of becoming a born of God, child of God in an eternal life familial relationship with God
(Jn 1:12 Greek) "hosoi ...........de ..elabon ..auton edOken .autois ...exousian tekna ....theou
............................"as many as .but received Him ..He gave to them authority children of God
genesthai ...........tois ...pisteuousin .eis .....to ..onoma autou"
to be [become]...to the believing ....on [in].the name ..His"
The Greek phrase "elabon auton" in Jn 1:12 rendered "did receive Him" in the YLT is in the aorist tense which portrays a completed action of having received the Word, the Life, the Light of men. The meaning of "elabon auton," i.e., "did receive Him" is further defined in Jn 1:12c by the Greek phrase, "tois pisteuousin eis to onoma autou," rendered "to those believing in His name" in the YLT where "pisteuousin" is a participle for noun in the dative case with a definite article, literally "to the believing ones." So a noun is in view, i.e., the believing one = the believer, which portrays an individual who has expressed a moment of faith in the name of the Light of Men, the Life, the Word, Jesus Christ in order to be given the authority to become a child of God unto an eternal life familial relationship with God. So at the moment that one has received Him, the Light of men, the Word which is to say at the moment that an individual becomes the believing one in His name, there results being given from God the authority to become a born of God child of God in an eternal life familial relationship with Him. This result is evidently eternally secure since the action of a moment of faith alone in Christ alone to obtain the result is a completed action without further requirement of response and the eternal life relationship with God is by definition eternal = eternally secure. Finally, being born of God as a child of God is not something that can be abrogated or undone any more than a child born of human parents can have his physical birth nullified or reversed. So being born of God is permanent and forever!
[Compare Ro 8:16]:
"The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children."
18) THOSE WHO BECOME BELIEVERS, I.E. ARE ELECT, WERE WRITTEN IN THE LAMB'S PERMANENT AND FINAL BOOK OF LIFE AND ARE BY DEFINITION ETERNALLY SECURE
Lamb's Book of Life:
This is the final edition so to speak of the Book of Life. It was written before the foundation of the world and never included any unsaved individuals - only the elect:
[Rev 13:8]:
"And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, [the Antichrist, v. 4] every one whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb Who has been slain."
[Rev 21:27]:
"And nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it [the heavenly city of the New Jerusalem, (v. 10], but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of life."
FURTHER DETAILS ON THE VARIOUS BOOKS OF LIFE IN THE BIBLE
(TO COUNTER OBJECTIONS)
PASSAGES:
Ps 69:19-28; 2 Ti 1:9; 2 Pet 1:20; Lk 10:20; Heb 12:23; Ex 32:32-33; Phil 4:3; Rev 3:5, 13:8, 17:8, 20:12; 21:27; Mal 3:16:
BOOK OF LIFE:
Records everyone from conception on. This book indicates who is going to heaven - at first - unless they die without ever having trusted alone in Christ alone:
[Rev 20:12]:
"And I say the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds..."
This supports the doctrine of unlimited atonement as taught in 1 Jn 2:2. For the sins of every individual who ever lived are paid for and it only remains for an individual, therefore, to accept this payment by trusting alone in Christ alone in order to receive forgiveness of their individual sins
[1 Jn 2:2]:
"And He [Jesus Christ] Himself is the propitiation [satisfaction] for our sins and not for ours only but also for those of the whole world." [Acts 10:43]:
"Of Him [Jesus Christ] all the prophets bear witness that through His name every one who believes in Him has received forgiveness of sins."
ERASED:
If an individual dies physically without ever having trusted alone in Christ then at that moment of his physical death his name is erased from the Book of Life in heaven:
[Ps 69:28]:
"May they be blotted out of the book of life, and may they not be recorded with the righteous."
[Ex 32:31-33]:
(v. 31) "Then Moses returned to the LORD, and said, 'Alas, this people have committed a great sin, and they have made a god of gold for themselves.
(v. 32) But now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin - and if not, please blot me [Moses] out from Thy book which Thou has written!
(v. 33) And the LORD said to Moses, 'Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book."
[Compare Rev 3:5]:
"He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels."
OTHER BOOKS:
These are the books which record every single act of every individual who ever lived - whether good or evil. These books are opened up at the Great White Throne Judgment and an individual is judged by God to see if his life measures up to that of our Lord Jesus Christ. If not and there is no entry in the Book of Life then that individual's destiny is the Lake of Fire:
[Rev 20:12]:
"And I say the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds..."
LAMB'S BOOK OF LIFE:
This is the final edition so to speak of the Book of Life. It was written before the foundation of the world and never included any unsaved individuals - only the elect:
[Rev 13:8]:
"And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, [the Antichrist, v. 4] every one whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb Who has been slain."
[Rev 21:27]:
"And nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it [the heavenly city of the New Jerusalem, (v. 10], but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's of life."
So on the Day of the Great White Throne Judgment, the individual unbeliever will have his life reviewed before the Lord Jesus Christ, (Jn 5:22):
[Rev 20:12]:
"And I say the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds..."
Since an unbeliever has rejected the need for receiving by faith alone the gift of God's perfect righteousness through Jesus Christ, (Ro 3:21), he has not received forgiveness of his sins, (Acts 10:43). At the end of his life, since he never chose to trust alone in Christ alone unto eternal life, his name is blotted out - erased - from the Book of Life:
[Ps 69:27-28]:
(v. 27) "Do Thou [God] add iniquity to their iniquity [refers to David's adversaries who are persecuting him, (v. 19)],
And may they not come into Thy righteousness.
[David is crying out to God that he wishes that his adversaries which are persecuting him mercilessly not be credited with the righteousness of God - which enables them to have eternal life in heaven. He goes on to say this in a another way which includes the doctrine of the Book of Life]:
(v. 28) May they be blotted out of the book of life, and may they not be recorded with the righteous."
[since they were requested by David to never be credited with the righteousness of God, (v. 27), which is by faith alone in the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ, alone, (cp Gen 15:5-6); then their names would be blotted out of the Book of Life]
So in the absence of one's name appearing in the Book of Life, God then has "other books" opened to see if that individual's life was equal to that of Jesus Christ's. Since an individual's sins are paid for, then what God is looking at is the intrinsic nature of that individual as reflected in his thoughts, words and deeds. And since an individual on his own, without the righteousness of Jesus Christ credited as his own intrinsic nature, falls infinitely short of God's absolute standard of perfect righteousness, (Mt 19:17), then that individual's destiny can be nothing else but the Lake of Fire.
[Rev 3:5]:
"He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels."
[Bob Wilken states, ('The Grace Evangelical Society News', March-April issue, pp1-2)]:
'''Can a believer lose his salvation or be erased from the Book of Life if he does not overcome (Rev 3:5)? This seems to contradict John 5:24 and Eph 2:8-9 which view everlasting life as a free and secure gift. Or, does it mean that a believer who is truly saved will automatically produce good works and overcome? This seems to contradict Romans 6-7 which views the Christian walk as a struggle and a choice that every believer must make for himself...
THE LOSS OF SALVATION VIEW
The problem with the loss-of-salvation view is that it clearly contradicts a host of passages. Jesus taught that believers "will never perish" (John 10:28). "shall not come into judgment" (John 5:24). The apostle Paul told the believers at Rome that "neither death nor life...nor things present nor things to come...shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom 8:38-39). To the believers at Ephesus he wrote, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Eph 2:8-9). and to the believers at Thessalonica he said that "whether we wake or sleep [i.e., whether we are morally alert or indolent], we should live together with Him" (1 Thess 5:10).
THE OVERCOMING EQUALS FAITHFUL OBEDIENCE VIEW
According to this view all genuine believers overcome the world by living godly lives. One author writes: "John was so confident of the ultimate triumph of faith over sin that he had a special name for the believer: 'the one who overcomes' (1 John 5:5; Rev 2:7, 11, 26; 3:5, 12, 21; 21:7)." Notice that he equates overcoming with "the ultimate triumph of faith over sin." Based on the context of these remarks, it is clear the author is referring to some ultimate triumph of faith over sin in this life."
According to what has come to be called the Reformed Doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints, all true believers persevere in a life of godliness. While there may be temporary setbacks and bouts with sin, believers are people who live victorious, holy lives to the end. People who hold the overcoming-equals-faithful-obedience interpretation of our verse understand it in light of that doctrine.
There is a major problem with this interpretation. The Bible does not promise that all true believers will live victorious, holy lives. Believers may have more than temporary setbacks and bouts with sin. It is sadly possible for believers to backslide terribly and to remain in that backslidden state until death. Certainly the church at Corinth was hardly a picture of believers experiencing ultimate victory over sin in their lives (cf. 1 Cor 3:1-3; 11:30; see also Gal 6:1-5; Jas 5:19-20; and 1 John 5:16)!
I'm not saying that eternal security is not true. As already shown above, it is. What I am saying is that there is no guarantee in Scripture that eternally secure people will live overcoming, victorious lives here and now. Believers can fail.
THE OVERCOMING EQUALS FAITH VIEW
There is a variation of the view just discussed which recognizes the possibility of failure in the Christian life. The overcoming-equals-faith view suggests that faith - not faithfulness - is the victory. All believers are overcomers the moment they believe. The very act of believing overcomes the world: 'Who is he who overvomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?' (1 John 5:5)...
THE ETERNAL REWARDS VIEW
[The expression in the
Bible of overcoming is also used in another way in other passages - not
referring to salvation but to rewards in heaven:
[Rev 2:5, 7b, 10]:
(v. 2:5a) "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works...
(v. 2:7b) To him who overcomes I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.
(v. 2:10) Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
(v. 2:26) And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I give power over the nations.
(v. 3:11) Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown
(v. 3:21) To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne"]
According to this view, genuine believers are in view and their salvation is not in question. Admittedly, some suggest that since churches sometimes contain unbelievers, then these seven letters may have been addressed to both believers and unbelievers. However, in a biblical sense churches never contain unbelievers. Churches are not buildings or social gatherings. Churches are assemblies of believers. Since the Lord was writing to churches, He was writing exclusively to believers.
This is supported by the fact that in none of the seven letters do we find a Gospel appeal...
[Revelation 3:20 is not a Gospel appeal. It is addressed to Christians and is inviting them to have fellowship with Christ. The figure of opening the door is an illustration of the preceding verse. To 'open the door' we must 'be zealous and repent' That is, we must be zealous for good works and repent of our sinful attitudes and actions (cf. 3:15-18).]
...The word faith only occurs twice in these letters (Rev 2:13, 19) and in both cases it is affirming the fact that the readers already have faith, not calling them to believe. Surely if these seven letters were addressed to unbelievers, we would find repeated calls to trust in Christ. Instead, we find none.
There are several lines of evidence from the text of Rev 3:3-5 which support the eternal-rewards interpretation.
[Rev 3:3-5]:
(v. 3) " 'Remember therefore what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. If therefore you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you.
(v. 4) But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white; for they are worthy.
(v. 5) He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels."
"I WILL COME UPON YOU AS A THIEF" =
...Verse 3 is a warning: 'If you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know the hour I will come upon you.' Calls to watchfulness in light of the Lord's imminent return as a thief are found in several other places in the NT. Salvation isn't in view in any of those places. Rather, they deal with the prospect of eternal rewards...
[Compare Mt 24:45-51; 25:1-13; and 1 Pet 5:1-11]:
...In 1 Thess 5:10, a context dealing with Christ's return 'as a thief in the night' (5:2), Paul wrote '[Christ] died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should love together with Him.' In context 'waking' was used metaphorically to mean walking in the light, being sober, faithful, and loving.
["waking" = "gregoreo" same word translated as "watch" in Rev 3:3 & 1 Thess 5:6]
On the other hand, 'sleeping' meant to walk in the darkness, to be drunk, unfaithful, and unloving (1 Thess 5:4-8). [Compare Eph 5:1-17 esp. v.14] Paul was saying that all believers will be raptured, whether they are morally alert or asleep, when Christ returns for them. The believer who is morally asleep when Christ returns is not overcoming. Yet he will live together with Him as well!..."
"THEY ARE WORTHY" =
[Bob Wilken, cont.]:
"Verse 4 reads, 'You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy." The worthiness here is linked to the fact that these were believers 'who have not defiled their garments.' Clearly Jesus isn't praising them for using Tide on their togs! That is a figurative way of saying that there were a few who had not walked in disobedience. Compare Rev 22:14 and Jas 1:27 and Jude 23.
Walking with Christ in white garments must be seen as a reward. Otherwise Christ is teaching salvation by works here! We know from Jesus' teachings and from the entire Bible that no one but Christ is worthy to be in God's kingdom because of his or her deeds. We are only worthy to enter God's kingdom because we have trusted in the Worthy One. This is compelling proof that the issue here is not salvation, but rewards."
"HE SHALL BE CLOTHED IN WHITE GARMENTS" =
[Bob Wilken, cont.]:
Verse 5 refers again to being clothed in white. The Lord makes it clear that the person in question is an overcomer. While some assume that all Christians will wear these white garments in the kingdom, this verse suggests that only overcoming believers, those who haven't defiled their garments (v. 4), will wear these garments in the kingdom.
This verse suggests that believers will not be clothed identically in the kingdom. Some will wear special white garments. These special garments will signify that the wearer is one who honored Christ until the end of his or her 'Christian' experience.
Peter, James, and John caught a glimpse of what these glorious garments will be like. When Jesus was transfigured before them, 'His face shown like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light' (Matt 17:2). It may well be that the brightness of an overcomer's clothes will be proportional to how Christlike he or she was in this life (cf. 1 Pet 4:13).
"I WILL CONFESS HIS NAME" =
This is rewards language. Jesus will acknowledge faithful believers before the Father and before His angels. Compare Matt 10:32-33 and Luke 19:11-19. He will say 'Well done, good servant' (Luke 19:17). This is a reward that faithful believers will receive. It is not a condition of entrance into the kingdom...
"I WON'T BLOT OUT HIS NAME" =
[Dr Wilken, cont.]:
"Several things should be observed in relation to this expression. First, whatever it means, it can't contradict other Scripture or the clear meaning of the rest of the passage and of other Scripture.
Second, many read it as though it says, 'He who doesn't overcome I will blot out his name...' It doesn't say that. It is important to note that this verse doesn't say anything about the fate of those who don't overcome. It certainly doesn't say that God will blot the non-overcomer's name out of the Book of Life. The focus here is on the overcomer, not on the non-overcomer.
If I said, 'All fathers are men,' that wouldn't mean that the opposite is true, that all men are fathers. There are men who aren't fathers. In the same way, the corollary to our verse is not true. God will not blot out the name of the non-overcoming believer from the Book of Life!
Once a person has spiritual life, it can never be taken away (cf John 10:28-29; 1 John 5:12).
Third, there is a well-established figure of speech called litotes or understatement. In this figure of speech a positive point is made by denying its opposite. For example, imagine that a loving, committed mother said to her teenage son, 'If you mow the yard today, I won't send you to bed without dinner.' Let's assume that the mother had previously guaranteed him that she would never send him to bed without supper. He would thus know that even if he didn't mow the yard, he would get dinner. His mom was promising him a special meal if he mowed the yard.
So, too, when the Lord says that He won't blot the name of the overcoming believer from the Book of Life, He means that He will give the overcomer a special fullness of life forever.
We know some of what this superlative experience will include: wearing special white garments (Rev 3:4-5), ruling with Christ (Rev 2:26-27; 3:21), eating the fruit of the tree of life (Rev 2:7), eating hidden manna (Rev 2:17), and receiving a white stone engraved with your own special name that only the Lord and you will know (Rev 2:17). None of these things is equivalent to eternal salvation. None of these things is required for kingdom entrance. These are all rewards awaiting the overcoming believer.
We don't know all that is in store for the overcoming believer. But from what we are told in the seven letters, we know that it will be something no one will want to miss. William Fuller, who defends this understanding of Rev 3:5, writes, 'A command that everyone keeps is superfluous, and a reward that everyone receives for a virtue that everyone has is nonsense." The eternal-rewards interpretation takes the command seriously, views the reward as a powerful motivation to obedience, and doesn't distort the Gospel!
Conclusion
The Lord Jesus Christ wants every believer to overcome the world by living a faithful Christian life until He returns or until death. He promises special rewards for the Christian who overcomes. Those rewards include a special fullness of life alluded to in the understatement, 'He who overcomes ... [surely] I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life.'
Jesus said, 'I came that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly' (John 10:10b). All believers have, and will forever have, life. Only overcoming believers have, and will forever have, life more abundantly. Paul echoed this same theme when he ended his letter to the Galatians with these words: 'And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart' (Gal 6:9)."
19) JUST AS PHYSICAL BIRTH IS IRREVERSIBLE, SO SPIRITUAL BIRTH IS IRREVERSIBLE
Scripture presents the concept of receiving eternal life as a spiritual birth, similar to but not the same as physical birth, (Ref. Jn 3:1-6). One similarity is that just as one cannot be unbirthed physically and go back into ones mother's womb, so one cannot be unborn spiritually and be eternally separated from God once more.
20) JESUS GAVE THE BELIEVER ETERNAL LIFE AND STATED THAT THAT INDIVIDUAL WILL NEVER PERISH
[Jn 10:27-29]:
(v. 27) "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;
(v. 28) and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.
(v. 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."
21) AT THE POINT OF SALVATION THE BELIEVER IS DECLARED ABSOLUTELY RIGHTEOUS THUS SECURING ETERNAL LIFE
Eternal
security is based on the fact that God's justice against all the sins
of the world, past present and future, has been exercised completely
and forever on Jesus Christ:
[1 Jn 2:2]:
"And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the wholeworld."
This penalty has been transferred to Jesus Christ on the cross and the absolute righteousness of God is permanently imputed to the sinner trusting in Christ as Savior.
[2 Cor 5:21]:
"He made Him Who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
[Compare Ro 4:23-24]:
(Ro 4:23 NASB) "Now not for his [Abraham's] sake only was it written that it was credited to him.
(Ro 4:24 NASB) but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him Who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead."
Thus the believing sinner possesses an absolute righteousness which is neither his own by nature nor maintained by him after having received it. Since the believer possesses absolute righteousness permanently, divine justice can only bless forever, not condemn again.
22) MOST PASSAGES WHICH OBJECTORS USE TO PROVE THAT SALVATION CAN BE LOST OR IS DEPENDANT UPON WHAT A MAN DOES ACTUALLY DEAL WITH WHAT A BELIEVER DOES TO DEMONSTRATE THAT (1) HE HAS ALREADY BEEN SAVED, (2) TO PRESERVE THE LENGTH OF HIS PHYSICAL LIFE OR (3) TO PRESERVE THE VALUE OF HIS LIFE UNTO REWARDS IN HEAVEN; (4) OR THE PASSAGE IS JUST GROSSLY MISINTERPRETED
BELOW ARE LISTED SOME OF THOSE PASSAGES. CONTACT THIS WEBSITE - GO TO THE INDEX OR SEND AN EMAIL FOR AN EXEGESIS OF THOSE WHICH ARE NOT LISTED.
"Faith without works is dead.... If a man has no works can that faith save him?" Not about salvation unto eternal life.
"Those who have fallen away it is impossible to renew them again to repentance" b ecause they insist on adding human doing like the statues of the Law in order to be saved. As insist on this it is impossible to bring them back to salvation by grace through faith. They are wholly stubborn but nevertheless saved unto eternal life. They just don't know it!
"For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacfice for sin"
"No one who is born of God practices sin"
"No one who is born of God sins"
"If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch... cast them into the fire"
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven"
"Keep the commandments and go to heaven"
"To those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life"
"I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
"But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin"
23) NOTHING CAN SEPARATE THE BELIEVER FROM THE LOVE WHICH IS IN CHRIST JESUS
[Ro 8:38-39]:
(v. 38) "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
(v. 39) nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
24) THE WORK OF JESUS CHRIST IN HEAVEN NOW AS THE BELIEVER'S ADVOCATE ASSURES HIS ETERNAL DESTINY
[1 Jn 2:1]:
"My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous."
[Heb 9:24]:
"For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us."
25) JESUS CHRIST IS NOW IN HEAVEN INTERCEDING IN THE BELIEVER'S BEHALF TO PRESERVE HIM IN SALVATION
[Ro 8:34a]:
"Christ Jesus is He Who died, yes, rather Who was raised, Who is at the right hand of God, Who also intercedes for us."
[Heb 7:23-25]:
(v. 23) "And the former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers, because they were prevented by death from continuing,
(v. 24) but He, on the other hand, because He abides forever, holds His priesthood permanently.
(v. 25) Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."
[1 Cor 12:13]:
"For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit."
[Eph 4:5]:
(v. 4) "There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;
(v. 5) one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
(v. 6) one God and Father of all Who is over all and through all and in all."
[2 Cor 5:17]:
"Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."
27) GOD CANNOT DENY HIMSELF - NOR HIS PROMISE - WHO INDWELLS THE BELIEVER UNTO ETERNAL LIFE
[2 Tim 2:11-13]:
(v. 11) "Here is a trustworthy saying:
'For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him;
"For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him" = If, by faith, we become sharers in the death of Christ, then we will also share in His eternal life, (Ro 3:21-24; 6:1-16.
Compare Col 3:1-3:
[Col 3:1-3]:
(v. 1) "If then you have been raised up with Christ,
[If then you were raised up with Christ at the point of trusting in Him for eternal life, (Ro 6:1-10)]
(v. 1 cont.) "If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things that are on earth.
(v. 2) Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
(v. 3) For you have died [with Christ, (cp Ro 6:8)] and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
[If we died with Christ we were saved unto eternal life..... If we died with Christ which is by faith alone in Christ alone, (Jn 3:16; 5:24; Eph 2:8-9), then we will live with Him forever, (Ro 6:1-10). If we received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in us which is our identification with the death of Jesus Christ and its benefits then "we we also live with Him", (Ro 6:8b)]
[2 Tim 2:11-13 cont.]:
(v. 12) If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.......
["If we endure" = If we, who are believers, who are secure in our eternal life, (Eph 1:13-14), endure the difficulties and testing and live a faithful, productive life - full of divine good production....]
(v. 12 cont.) If we endure, we shall also reign with Him...
[If we endure as "endure" is defined above- then we believers will not only have eternal life with Jesus Christ in heaven because of our one time expression of faith in Him; but we will also reign, i.e., corule, with Him and receive unimaginably glorious rewards.
Compare with Romans 8:16-17:
[Ro 8:16-17]:
(v. 16) "The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children" [i.e., born again believers]
(v. 17) Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory."
["Now if we [believers] are children, then we are heirs of God [unto eternal life in heaven] and [not only heirs of eternal life in heaven but if we are faithful, as the rest of this verse states, then we are] co-heirs [coinheritors of rulership] with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings [by taking up our own cross, (Mt 16:24-27)] in order that we may also share in His glory."
So it is those believers who "Take up [their] cross and follow" Christ who will reign with Him. Indeed, those who endure by remaining faithful, by abiding in Christ - by producing fruit will also suffer their own peculiar suffering during their lifetime for the sake of Christ. Those believers who do not abide in Christ will not inherit much in heaven when they get there:
[2 Tim 2:11-13 cont.]:
(v. 12 cont.) If we endure, we shall also reign with Him,
If we disown Him, He will also disown [disinherit] us,"
[If we disown Him, He will also disown (disinherit) us," = If we believers disown, i.e., disavow Christ's ownership of us by acting in thought, word and deed in disobedience and unfaithfulness, (1 Cor 6:19-20), then Christ will disown our ownership, i.e., our inheritance of eternal rewards and co-rulership with Him, (Col 1:10-12; 3:23-24; Eph 5:5; Gal 5:21).
[2 Tim 2:11-13 cont.]:
(v. 12 cont.) "if we endure, we will also reign with Him. If we disown Him, He will also disown [disinherit] us
(v. 13) "If we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself."
["if we [believers] are faithless, He [Jesus Christ] will remain faithful [to His promise that] "if we died with Him, we will also live with Him," (v. 11)]
If we believers are faithless toward our Lord, He will nevertheless remain faithful to His promise of eternal life to all who have trusted in Him no matter what, (Jn 3:16: Eph 1:14), because He cannot disown, i.e., disinherit Himself - His Body - the Body of believers to whom He promised eternal life, (Col 1:24). Our Lord cannot deny eternal life to those who have become part of His body forever - the body of Christ - the body of believers whom He indwells forever, the church. The believer's unfaithfulness cannot cause God to deny His own work of salvation]
[Compare Mt 10:32-33, 37-39]:
LOSING ONE'S LIFE/ETERNAL REWARDS
[Mt 10:32-33, 37-39]:
(32) "Every one therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will confess him before My Father Who is in heaven.
(33) But whoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father Who is in heaven."
[Charles C. Bing states, ("The Cost of Discipleship" from the Grace Evangelical Society Journal, vol 6, Spring '93, p. 43]:
The idea of being ashamed of Christ or denying Christ is clarified in some contexts more than in others....Perhaps the greatest clarification comes from...Matt 10:32-33...There Jesus is giving instructions to the Twelve before sending them out to preach the Gospel (Matt 10:5ff). He warns of rejection and persecution (vv 16-25) and encourages them not to fear (vv26-31). Verses 32-33 are also followed by similar warnings about rejection (vv34-36). In vv 32-33 Jesus is both encouraging and warning in the face of the fear of persecution. He wants the disciples to know that anyone who identifies with Him will be rewarded, while anyone who shrinks from this will be denied by Christ before the Father (explained below). Matthew's context seems a close parallel to that which is signified by Mark's phrase 'in this adulterous and sinful generation' (Mark 8:38).
The consequence facing someone who is ashamed of or denies Christ is more enigmatic. Does Christ's reciprocal shame and denial of that person at His coming denote a denial of salvation? In correlating Matt 10:32-33 with 16:27, it is clear that the issue is some kind of recompense for one's works...
[Mt 16:27]:
"For the Son of Man is going to come in His Father's glory with His angels, and then He will reward each person according to what he has done."
...Matthew takes care to state that at His coming, Christ 'will reward (apoodosei) each according to his works" (16:27). That Jesus makes works the basis of the recompense demands that salvation unto eternal not be the issue (Eph 2:8-9)...
[Eph 2:8-9]:
(v. 8) "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it it the gift of God -
(v. 9) not by works, so that no one can boast."]
Charles C. Bing, (cont. op cit, p43):
...Also, the verb 'apoodosei' carries the idea of 'recompense' with no inherent sense of whether it is good or bad, so it could speak of positive reward or negative judgment. In Mark and Luke a negative recompense is suggested...
[Mk 8:38]:
"If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His Father's glory with the holy angels." (cp Lk 9:26)
...Those who were too ashamed to identify with Christ in their temporal life will experience Christ's shame. The effect of Christ's shame is not specified, but one could surmise that for a redeemed and now fully-enlightened believer, this would at least produce agonizing regret...[cp Mt 22:1-14; 25:14-30]
...In the parallel passage, Matt 10:32-33, the idea of recompense is good (v 32) or bad (v 33) accordingly. Christ's confession (or lack of it) in heaven would not relate to the judgment of our salvation unto eternal life, but to an acknowledgment (or lack of it) before the Father of the disciples' unity or fellowship with Christ which is recompensed in an unspecified but appropriate way. (However, one might compare 2 Tim 2:12, where reigning with Christ is the specific reward.)
[Mt 10:32-33, 37-39 cont]:
(v. 37) "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
(v. 38) And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
["take up his cross and follow Me" = Charles C. Bing states, (op. cit., p.41):
"...Because following another person is a process, a progression, and requires time, this condition cannot speak of entrance into salvation. This would promote salvation by the imitation of Christ or by adherence to His example which would be a salvation of works. It is best taken as a term that describes a continuously committed lifestyle."
"is not worthy of Me" = Not being worthy in this passage does not constitute a condition of being unsaved. The context of this passage speaks of eternally secure believers, (Mt 10:1-5). Only believers can take up their cross in the first place. Unbelievers cannot please God by taking up any cross, (Ro 8:8). First they must be saved before they do anything! So being unworthy of Christ in this context speaks of a believer who chooses not to follow Jesus as one of His disciples - choosing not to make the necessary sacrifices and not enduring the God ordained hardships, i.e., not taking up his cross.
(v. 39) He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it.
[Losing one's life = turning the control of one's life over to the sovereign will of God. By living according to the will of God, (which is contained in His Word), one is rewarded on earth with an inner happiness and confidence that God will carry them every step of the way through life, into heaven and on into eternity, especially in light of the confidence a faithful believer has in going to heaven and receiving indescribably wonderful rewards. One who has lost his life to the sovereignty of God has found the real purpose of his life for which he was created, (Eph 2:10). This new found purpose brings love, joy and peace to a child of God's earthly life when he is aligned with the purpose of the great Almighty God of the universe Who provides that love, joy and peace. The peace and inner happiness is based on Who God is and His indescribably wonderful promises.
Charles C. Bing, (op. cit., pp. 42-43):
"...When Jesus says 'whoever loses his life for My sake,' the sense is certainly not eternal destruction, for He says this one will then 'find it,' which is something good. Conversely, it fits well that what one may lose when he tries to save his life (preserve himself from the hardships of self-denial and cross-bearing) is life in the essential qualitative sense (i.e., experiencing God's life in this life, John 17:3), not the eternal soul. The paradox Jesus used has great meaning. What He appears to be saying is this: 'Whoever desires to preserve himself from the hardships of God's will of self-denial and cross-bearing will in fact forfeit the essential quality (- true spiritual value) of the present life he is trying to preserve. On the other hand, whoever forfeits himself to God's will of self-denial and hardships will discover the greater essential quality (spiritual value) of the present life he was willing to forfeit.' This interpretation would therefore not describe eternal salvation, but a higher quality of experience with God in this life, with implications for the eschatological life [future & eternal life]..."
28) THE CHRISTIAN IS PRESERVED FOR ETERNAL LIFE IN HEAVEN BY THE POWER OF GOD
[1 Pet 1:4-5]:
(v. 3) "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who acccording to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
(v. 4) to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.
(v. 5) who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."
[Jude 24]:
"Now to Him Who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy."
[Mk 10:6-9]:
(v. 6) "But
from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.
(v. 7) For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother,
(v. 8) and the two shall become one flesh; consequently they are no longer two, but one flesh.
(v. 9) What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate."
[Eph 4:25-28]:
(v. 25) "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her
(v. 26) to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,
(v. 27) and to present her to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless."
(v. 28) In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself."
[Rev 19:7]:
(v. 7) " 'Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.
(v. 8) Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.' (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)"
Notice that the saints are the bride of Christ.
[Heb 10:10, 12, 14]:
(v. 10) "And by that will [the will of God the Father, (v. 7-9)], we have been made holy [i.e., sanctified], through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."
(v. 12) "But when this Priest [Christ] had offered for all time one sacrifce for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God."
(v. 14) "Because by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy [i.e., believers]."
Thus a believer must be eternally secure, because were he to lose his salvation there would not be another sacrifice for sins left for him to appropriate in order to get saved again. Furthermore, verse 14 stipulates that that one sacrifice was all that was necessary to perfect believers unto eternal life. Objectors to eternal security must require our Lord to be sacrificed each time they claim a believer loses his salvation and then gets saved again contradicting this passage in Hebrews chapter 10.
31) THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION POSSIBLE IN THE INDIVIDUAL WHO BECOMES A BELIEVER
[Ro 8:1]:
(v. 1) "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
[Once you become a believer you become "in Christ"; and all those who are "in Christ", i.e., believers, (2 Cor 5:17), are eternally secure from going to hell whether they continue to obey Christ or not, (compare 1 Cor 3:11-15, 2 Tim 11-13).
Note that some translations have the phrase in Ro 8:1 [There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.] "who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit". This phrase is omitted from the end of verse one above because it was discovered that it was erroneously copied from verse 4 in a number of later manuscripts. Earlier, more reliable manuscripts do not have this phrase. Its placement here in verse one by someone who was transcribing manuscripts contradicts many other passages which teach God's exclusive and sovereign role in preserving the eternal security of the believer, (ref: Ro 8:38-39; Jn 10:28; Eph 1:13-14, 2:8-9, 4:30 & Ro 11:29). How the believer lives his life does not effect his eternal destiny. Whom he has placed his faith in does!]
32) THE BELIEVER IS VIEWED BY GOD AS SANCTIFIED, I.E., SET APART, UNTO ETERNAL LIFE
[1 Cor 1:2, 30]:
(v. 2) "To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy..."
And the reason God can immediately sanctify the new born believer is because of what our Lord did for us on the cross:
(v. 30) "It is because of Him [God] that you are in Christ Jesus, Who has become for us wisdom from God - that is, our righteousness, holiness [i.e., sanctification], and redemption."
It is because you are in Christ that you are already set aside, i.e., sanctified, to eternal life.
[Compare 1 Cor 6:11]:
"And that is what some of you were [those who committed gross sins, (vv. 9-10]. But [when you became believers] you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
[Compare Heb 10:10]:
"And by that will [the will of God the Father, (v. 7-9)], we have been made holy [i.e., sanctified], through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."
"made holy" = "egiasmenoi" = past perfect, passive mood = sanctified some time in the past, (at the point of salvation), and that sanctification goes on continually due to the perfect tense. Passive mood indicates that the individual was not sanctified of his own doing but rather God was the Agent in that process which makes it infallible and eternally secure. Because of Who God is.
[Compare 1 Pet 1:1-2]:
(1 Pet 1:1 NASB) "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens,
scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
who are chosen
(1 Pet 1:1 NASB) 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."
So the word sanctified in these particular passages is the permanent position of the believer regardless of how that believer behaves throughout his mortal life. They are set aside by God to eternal life in heaven.
[Gal 3:13]:
"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written 'Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree. [Dt 21:23]' "
"redeemed us" = "exegorasen" = a compound verb; aorist tense = completed action indicating a once for all time action; indicative mood = a statement of fact indicating a completed position; this compound verb consisting of "egorasen" = purchase, (cp Rev 5:9), and "ex" = out of, i.e., "exegorasen" = "to purchase out of being subject to the curse of the Law, i.e, the slave market of sin so that one can never return to it.
[J. Dwight Pentecost states, ("Things Which Become SOUND DOCTRINE", Revell, Westwood N.J., 1965, pp. 76)]:
"This word emphasizes the result of the redemption, the result of the purchase by the blood of Christ. When we were purchased out from the curse of the Law and bondage to sin we were purchased out so completely and effectively that we can never be returned to that slave market again... The Apostle tells us that when Christ redeemed us in a redemptive act, and purchased us for Himself by the payment of a price, He redeemed us or purchased us out of the slave market in order that we might be delivered from its bondage forever."
34) THE BELIEVER IS PERMANENTLY ROOTED IN CHRIST THUS SECURING HIS SALVATION FOREVER
[Col 2:6-7]:
(v. 6) "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him,
(v. 7) rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."
"having been rooted" = "errizOmenoi", perfect tense, nominative participle - completed action in the past with ongoing results forever. In other words, the believer, all believers have been completely rooted in Christ forever.
35) EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES IN THE SON TO SAVE HIM WILL NOT BE LOST
[Jn 6:39-40]:
(v. 39) "And this is the will of Him Who sent Me, that I shall lose no one of all that He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day.
(v. 40) For My Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
[Eph 4:4-6]:
(v. 4) "There is one body and one Spirit-- just as you were called to one hope when you were called--
(v. 5) one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
Since no one can claim in this mortal life to be sinless, (1 Jn 1:8, 10), and since there is only one baptism, [Holy Spirit baptism - water baptism being symbolic of the Holy Spirit baptism,] then the fact that Holy Spirit baptism cannot recur proves that one's salvation cannot be lost. For if one must get saved again as a result of losing one's salvation, then baptism must be repeated each time - but there is only one baptism.
(v. 4) "But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,
(v. 5) He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
(v. 6) whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,
(v. 7) so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life."
"esOsen hEmas" = "He saved us" = aorist tense, completed action. Already saved [completed action past tense] believers are in view.
So nothing needs to be done in the present or future re: those who have been saved in the past, aorist completed action tense. "He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done" = "epoiEsamen" = "we had done" = aorist tense, completed action again. This fits the aorist "He saved us".
Note that since the salvation is a completed action in the past, then the only actions that can contribute to it must be in the completed action past. There cannot be any present or future actions to contribute to a past completed action. Thus it is eternally secure.
Furthermore, the basis upon which one has become completely saved is stipulated as solely by the mercy of God which is mutually exclusive of any works in the first place which makes it eternally secure.
Finally, "having been justified by his grace" = "dikaiOthentes", aorist participle, completed action that we might inevitably [because of the completed action] become heirs having the [sure] hope [= "elpida"] of eternal life.
38) HAVING BELIEVED ONE IS INCLUDED IN CHRIST FOREVER
[Eph 1:13-14]:
(v. 13) "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit
(v. 14) Who is a deposit guaranteeing our [eternal] inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession to the praise of His glory."
The Greek text with English underneath looks like this - notice that it ties in with verse 11 where Jews are chosen in Christ and then Paul declares in v. 13, so are Gentiles:
en .HO ….kai ..humeis ..................................................akousantes
in Whom ..also..you [Gentiles were included, (v. 11)].having heard
[in Christ]
ton logon tEs ….alEtheias to ..euaggelion tEs sOtErias humOn …
the word .of the .truth .......the gospel ........of ..salvation your …….
en HO ...................kai ..pisteusantes ……esphragisthEte
in Whom [Christ] also .having believed ...you were sealed
tO ……..Pneumati tEs epaggelias tO hagiO
with the Spirit …….…of promise ..…Holy
ho ….estin …arrabOn .tEs klEronomias ........hEmOn
Who .is [the] deposit........…of ..inheritance .....our
eis …….apolutrOsin ..tEs ...peripoiEseOs
for [the] redemption ..of the possession
eis........epainon …..tEs doxEs ...autou
to [the] praise ...............of glory His
Notice "having believed" is an aorist, active, participle which portrays a completed action, i.e., a single moment of believing in order to produce the stated results which are indicated in the passage:
"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him [Christ] with a Seal, the Holy Spirit of promise" =
At the point of having believed the gospel of your salvation the promised Holy Spirit "included" the believer "in Christ".
Notice that being placed into Christ is an eternally secure picture. There are passages throughout the New Testament that picture the building up of the Church, the Body of Christ by believers being included in Christ but never the losing of parts of that body by the loss of believers and then the reinstating of them - especially over and over again as each believer sins and repents and sins again and repents again. Thus one who is placed into Christ, i.e., the Body of Christ, the Church is eternally secure in the church and thus destined to heaven.
[Eph 1:13-14]:
(v. 13) "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit
(v. 14) Who is a deposit guaranteeing our [eternal] inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession to the praise of His glory."
"Having believed you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit Who is a deposit guaranteeing our [eternal] inheritance" =
"deposit" = "arrabon" = an earnest, a down payment with more to come, i.e., the final redeemed state of the believer’s perfection in Christ. God being the One Who has put down this earnest, Who actually is the earnest, He will absolutely deliver. It is a unilateral and absolute guarantee because there is no stipulation in this passage for the individual to perform except to believe and because God is absolute power and holiness. So there is nothing the believer can do to undo it.
[Eph 1:13-14]:
(v. 13) "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit
(v. 14) Who is a deposit guaranteeing our [eternal] inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession to the praise of His glory."
"Having believed you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit Who is a Deposit guaranteeing our [eternal] inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession to the praise of His glory." =
So God the Holy Spirit is the absolute Deposit, the absolute Earnest, the Absolute Guarantor of the believer’s eternal inheritance which is the redemption of the believers "who are [now, being in Christ] God's possession, i.e., his final perfect state when he has been completely redeemed to live with God for all eternity.
[Eph 1:13-14]:
(v. 13) "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit
(v. 14) Who is a deposit guaranteeing our [eternal] inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession to the praise of His glory."
"Having believed you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit Who is a Deposit guaranteeing our [eternal] inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession to the praise of His glory." =
Notice, after all is said and done, upon believing, the individual becomes God’s eternal possession and God alone is to get the glory, hence man cannot be involved in contributing to his redemption, but must trust in God to do it all. Since God does it all and the believer is God’s possession, it is eternally secure.
a) SCRIPTURE TEACHES THAT LIFE IS AN INSTRINSIC PART OF AN INDIVIDUAL
i) "LIFE" = "NEPHESH" = THAT INVISIBLE AND IMMATERIAL LIFE PRINCIPLE WHICH ANIMATES THE BODIES OF ANIMALS AND MAN
[Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, Vol 2; R. Laird Harris, Editor, 1980, pp. 589-99]:
"In some passages nephesh is best translated by "life," but "life" here denotes the living self with all its drives... when nephesh occurs as the subject of the verb it is usually rendered 'soul' - desires, inclinations, etc.; as the object of the verb it is frequently rendered by 'life' - the state of personal existence as over against death.
Many passages refer to the 'saving' of a man's nephesh 'life'...
Here too belongs Lev 17:11, one of the most decidely theological and distinctively meaningful passages where the word nephesh is of major significance, and one which certainly defines the term as meaning life:
a_i_1) [Lev 17:11]:
"For the life
(nephesh) of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to
you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that
makes atonement for one's life."
It comes as no surprise, then, that in some contexts nephesh is best rendered by 'person,' 'self,' or simply by the personal pronoun..[him, her, etc.]..
The word 'life' [Gen 1:20] occurs for the first time in this verse (Hebrew 'nephesh'). Actually, this is the word also for 'soul,' and is frequently used to refer to both the soul of man and the life of animals.
ai_2) [Gen 1:20 YOUNGS]:
'''And God saith, 'Let the waters teem with the teeming living [nephesh Str # 5315] creatures, and fowl let fly on the earth on the face of the expanse of the heavens.' '''
[Dr. Robert A Morey states, ('Death and the Afterlife,' Bethany House, Minneapolis, Mn 1984, pp. 45-46)]:
"...the word 'nephesh' [Str 5314 nephesh {neh'-fesh} ]refers to that invisible and immaterial life principle which animates the bodies of animals and man. In Gen. 1:20, 21, 24, 30; 2:19; 9:10, etc., an animal is call[ed] a 'nephesh' as long as it is living. A dead animal is never called a 'nephesh' because its body would be devoid of the life principle. In this sense, once the life principle was breathed into the body of Adam, he became a 'nephesh,' a living creature (Gen. 2:7).... That 'nephesh' is an immaterial and invisible life principle is seen from the fact that Adam's body was complete yet unanimated until God placed in it 'the spirit of life,' i.e., the life principle (Gen 2:7). Adam did not become alive when his body was complete. His body awaited the introduction of the invisible and immaterial life principle before he could become a 'nephesh,' that is, a living creature.
Note that the Greek word "psuche" is the rendering for the Hebrew "nephesh" in the Septuagint.
ii) "LIFE" = " PSUCHE" = THAT INVISIBLE AND IMMATERIAL LIFE PRINCIPLE WHICH ANIMATES THE BODIES OF ANIMALS AND MAN
[Dr. Robert A Morey states, ('Death and the Afterlife,' Bethany House, Minneapolis, Mn 1984, pp. 55-56)]:
'''Arndt and Gingrich ni A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (pp. 901, 902) define psuche as (1) physical life, i.e., the life principle in man and animals, (2) earthly life itself, (3) the soul or inner self which transcends physical life and is the seat of intellect, emotion and will. 'It stands in contrast to the body.... The soul is the center of both the earthly and the supernatural,' and (4) used in a figurative sense as a metonymy to refer to living people in general. It is used as a synechdoche, i.e., a part is put for the whole.
Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (p. 677) views psuche as meaning (1) 'the vital force which animates the body' of men and animals, (2) a figure of speech for living persons, (3) the soul as the seat of emotion, intellect and will, 'the soul regarded as a moral being destined for everlasting life...as an essence which differs from the body and is not dissolved by death ....a disembodied soul.'
The word psuche like nephesh has several different meanings. First, it refers to the invisible and immaterial principle of physical life which animates the bodies of animals and man (Rev 8:9; 16:3; Matt 2:20). Second, it is used in a relational or functional sense to refer to earthly life (Matt 6:25). Third, it is used as a figure of speech to refer to people in general (Acts 2:41). Fourth, it is used of God in Matt 12:18 and Heb 10:38 in the sense of God's transcendent self. That psuche cannot mean physical life when used of God is obvious. It is used to refer to the seat of emotion, intellect, and will in God. Fifth, as the image-bearer of God, man also possesses a psuche which transcends the physical life of the body (Matt 10:28).'''
Notice that psuche, like nephesh, is an intrinsic part of the individual, inseparable from his being.
iii) CONCLUSION
When the term "life" is used in the Bible it often means life in the body, the existence and activity of the man in all his parts and energies. It is the person complete, conscious and active. Thus the life that one possesses is an intrinsic part of one. Although it is a possession, it is a unique one, such that it pervades the entire being and cannot be thought of as a finite material possession like a diamond that can fall out of ones pocket and be lost and then found again periodically.
b) SCRIPTURE TEACHES THAT ETERNAL LIFE IS AN INSTRINSIC PART OF AN INDIVIDUAL
In the same way, eternal life once received becomes an intrinsic part of the individual when he believes in the Son of God and receives it.
i) [Jn 3:16]:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
ii) [Compare Jn 6:53-54]:
(v. 53) '''Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no [eternal] life in you.
[Notice that the word life refers to eternal life, (v. 58), and the context leading up to v. 53. This eternal life once received is described here as "in you," implying an intrinsic part of you]
(v. 54) Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
Since eternal life once received is "in you" implying an intrinsic part of you for eternity, then it is not portrayed in the Bible as occupying space in a particular part of your anatomy such that it can be removed and lost from within you and then recovered again.
Furthermore, the concept of eternal life existing outside of an individual is foreign to the concept of life and eternal life. Eternal life can only exist within an individual as an intrinsic part of him.
Finally, even if it could somehow be lost, it could not be described as eternal life - but life for the duration of time that it was an intrinsic part of that individual. Thus eternal life is eternally secure because it is defined as an intrinsic part of the individual for the duration of eternity.
iii) [Compare Eph 1:13-14]:
(v. 13) '''And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
(v. 14) Who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of His glory.'''
iii_a) PASSAGE PORTRAYS A SINGLE COMPLETED ACTION MOMENT OF BELIEVING
"Having believed" is an aorist, active, participle which portrays a completed action, i.e., a single moment of believing in order to produce the stated results which are indicated in the passage:
iii_b) HAVING BELIEVED ONE IS INCLUDED IN CHRIST FOREVER
"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him [Christ] with a Seal, the Holy Spirit of promise" =
At the point of "having believed the gospel of your salvation" the promised Holy Spirit "included" the believer "in Christ". Notice that being placed into Christ is an eternally secure picture of eternal life in Christ. There are passages throughout the New Testament that picture the building up of the Church, the Body of Christ by believers being included in Christ but never the losing of parts of that body by the loss of believers and then the reinstating of them - especially over and over again as each believer sins and repents and sins again and repents again. Thus one who believes in the gospel has eternal life by being placed into Christ PERMANENTLY, i.e., the Body of Christ and is eternally secure in one's destiny to heaven.
iii_c) INDIVIDUALS AT THE MOMENT OF HAVING BELIEVED ARE SEALED PERMANENTLY INTO CHRIST WITH THE PROMISED HOLY SPIRIT
"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him [Christ] with a Seal, the Holy Spirit of promise" =
Believers in the gospel are, at the point of believing, sealed permanently into the Body of Christ with the Holy Spirit of promise Who places them into Christ as the Seal within them permanently and forever into the Body of Christ. In view is a permanent sealing into Christ, i.e., the Body of Christ by the Seal, the Holy Spirit of promise as a promise of God Himself Who indwells the individual as the actual Seal. By definition a seal is a guarantee that the promise will be fulfilled - and that Seal is God Himself! Furthermore, since there is no obligation of the individual stipulated in this passage except to express a moment of belief in the gospel, then it is a unilateral guarantee and promise and seal of God Himself. Considering the absolute holiness and absolute power of God, any unilateral promise of God will be fulfilled. So here there is no question that the believer will remain sealed into Christ forever, i.e., eternally secure in his salvation.
iii_d) INDIVIDUALS AT THE MOMENT OF HAVING BELIEVED ARE SEALED PERMANENTLY INTO CHRIST WITH THE PROMISED HOLY SPIRIT WHO HIMSELF IS A DEPOSIT GUARANTEEING OUR [ETERNAL] INHERITANCE
"Having believed you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit Who is a deposit guaranteeing our [eternal] " =
"deposit" = "arrabon" = an earnest, a down payment with more to come, i.e., the final redeemed state of the believer’s perfection in Christ. God being the One Who has put down this earnest, Who actually is the earnest, He will absolutely deliver. It is a unilateral and absolute guarantee because there is no stipulation in this passage for the individual to perform except to believe and because God is absolute power and holiness. So there is nothing the believer can do to undo it.
iii_e) GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE DEPOSIT, THE ABSOLUTE EARNEST, THE ABSOLUTE GUARANTOR OF THE [ETERNAL] INHERITANCE OF THE BELIEVER WHICH IS THE REDEMPTION OF THE BELIEVER, I.E., HIS FINAL PERFECT STATE WHEN HE HAS BEEN COMPLETELY REDEEMED TO LIVE WITH GOD FOREVER
"Having believed you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit Who is a Deposit guaranteeing our [eternal] until the redemption of those who are God's possession to the praise of His glory." = So God the Holy Spirit is the absolute Deposit, the absolute Earnest, the Absolute Guarantor of the believer’s eternal inheritance which is the redemption of the believers "who are [now, being in Christ] God's possession, i.e., his final perfect state when he has been completely redeemed to live with God for all eternity.
iii_f) HAVING BELIEVED THE BELIEVER IS NOW GOD'S POSSESSION AND IT IS ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD IMPLYING ETERNAL SECURITY
"Having believed you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit Who is a Deposit guaranteeing our [eternal] inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession to the praise of His glory." =
Notice, after all is said and done, upon believing, the individual becomes God’s possession and God alone is to get the glory, hence man cannot be involved in contributing to his redemption, but must trust in God to do it all. Since God does it all and the believer is God’s possession, it is eternally secure.
[Eph 1:13-14]:
(v. 13) "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit
(v. 14) Who is a deposit guaranteeing our [eternal] inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession to the praise of His glory."
a) "HAVING BELIEVED" IS A COMPLETED ACTION VERB PORTRAYING A SINGLE MOMENT OF BELIEVING WITHOUT ANYTHING ELSE REQUIRED OF AN INDIVIDUAL SUFFICIENT TO PRODUCE THE STATED RESULTS WHICH HAVE A VIEW TO THE ETERNAL SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER
Notice "having believed" is an aorist, active, participle which portrays a completed action, i.e., a single moment of believing in order to produce the stated results which are indicated in the passage:
i) HAVING BELIEVED ONE IS INCLUDED IN CHRIST FOREVER
"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him [Christ] with a Seal, the Holy Spirit of promise" =
At the point of "having believed the gospel of your salvation" the promised Holy Spirit "included" the believer "in Christ." Notice that being placed into Christ is an eternally secure picture because Jesus Christ is eternal. There are passages throughout the New Testament that picture the building up of the Church, the Body of Christ by believers being included in Christ but never the losing of parts of that body by the loss of believers and then the reinstating of them - especially over and over again as each believer sins and repents and sins again and repents again. Thus one who is placed into Christ, i.e., the Body of Christ, the Church is eternally secure in the church and thus destined to heaven.
A) [Ro 4:9-12 NAS]:
(v. 4:9 NAS) "Is this blessing then upon the circumcised, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say, 'Faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness.'
(v. 4:10 NAS) How then was it reckoned? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised;
(v. 4:11 NAS) and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised that righteousness might be reckoned to them,
(v. 4:12 NAS) and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised."
Abraham's circumcision is stipulated as a sign, a seal of the righteousness of the faith he excercised in God's promise of eternal life through Abraham's seed, through an Individual, (Jesus Christ) Who would be physically born and bear his sins so that Abraham would have eternal life.
The word rendered sign is from the Greek word "sEmeion", Strongs # 4592.
[Webster's New Intercollegiate Dictionary, G & C Merriam Co., Springfield, Ma, 1980, p. 1071]:
"1 a A motion or gesture by which a thought is expressed or a command or wish made known."
The word rendered seal is from the Greek word "sphragida", Strongs # 4973.
[Websters, cont., p. 1033]:
"1 a. Something that confirms, ratifies, or makes secure. GUARANTEE ASSURANCE"
Hence the motion of circumcision by Abraham was an outward manifestation of the fact that God had promised Abraham eternal life as a result of Abraham's moment of faith in that promise. Notice that the force behind the guarantee of Abraham's justification unto eternal life and anyone who expressed the same faith that Abraham did is not the circumcision itself but God Himself.
"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ"
"dikaiOthentes ............................................................oun ..ek pisteOs eirEnEn
"Having been justified, (declared righteous by God) then..by faith, .....peace
echomen pros ....ton theon dia .........tou kuriou hEmOn iEsou christou"
we have .toward .......God ..through .the Lord ...our .......Jesus Christ"
"Having been justified, (declared righteous by God) then.by faith =
"DikaiOthentes" is a nominative participle, i.e., a participle acting as a noun; literally "ones who have been justified" [declared righteous by God]. It is in the aorist tense, signifying a completed action in the past. It is also in the passive voice indicating that the individual who has been justified did not participate in any way to receive that position. Hence, God has performed this finished forever action of justification on the individual who believed. The individual simply trusted in God to do it all for him.
So the context of vv. 4:18-25 continues into chapter 5. We have in view those who have expressed a moment of faith in what Abraham believed (the gospel) and thus have been justified unto eternal life by God as a completed permanent, passive action. Once exercised, the faith is not stipulated as having to continue. It should continue but it no longer needs to be expressed to remain justified. Hence human doing is not required at any time. One simply expresses a moment of trust in God to do it all FOR YOU.
[William R. Newell states, 'Romans Verse By Verse', Kregel, Grand Rapids, Mi, 1994, p. 163]:
"We must note at once that the Greek form of this verb 'declared righteous,' or 'justified,' is not the present participle, 'being declared righteous,' but rather the aorist participle 'having been declared righteous,' or 'justified.'
[or more specifically the nominative form of the aorist participle: 'ones who have been declared righteous once for all time']
"You say, What is the difference? The answer is, 'being declared righteous' looks to a state you are in; 'having been declared righteous [i.e., justified]' looks back to a fact that happened. 'Being in a justified state' of course is incorrect, confusing, as it does, justification and sanctification. 'Whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever.' The moment you believed, God declared you righteous, never to change His mind."
