Eternal Security: Perseverance or Preservation?

previously in this series–part 1, part 2, “The Sinner’s Prayer Problem” (part 3), part 4

This is my fifth post in a series on Man-Centered Christianity. Like post #3, this is an excersus or an aside. In the last post, I explained that the Once Saved, Always Saved (OSAS) view of eternal security has contributed to the spread of man-centered Christianity. In this post, I want to develop my view of eternal security a little further, before moving on.

There was a time when I had a list of verses in my soul-winner’s New Testament, which “proved” eternal security. Chief among them was John 10:28 (KJV) “And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”

Of course I still uphold this verse–it is quite precious. Jesus preserves His own. We are preserved, yet it is through faith (1 Pet. 1:3-5). God doesn’t preserve us apart from our faith (which is a gift from Him, actually).

The question in the title of this post is a little misleading. It isn’t perseverance or preservation. It’s both. The OSAS view majors on the one over and against the other. The Biblical position, in my view, is that God preserves us, but all true believers will persevere. And further, believers must persevere.

In discussing this, let me delve into a few passages at some length. Hopefully that will help explain this teaching, as well as validate it. (I know just how foreign this can sound to sincere, Bible-loving, yet steeped-in-tradition, people!)

1 Corinthians 9:23-10:14

I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers… all drank of the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did…. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer…. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall…. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

If you didn’t read the above verses, please go back and read them. A clear theme should emerge. Serious sin, has eternal consequences. We know from Hebrews 3 & 4, that the people referred to as “overthrown in the wilderness”, were actually not elect, they were unsaved–full of unbelief. Paul uses their example to warn professing believers, including himself. We should all take heed lest we fall, especially if we think we stand. Notice also how specifically the OT people are said to have followed Christ, and put Christ to the test. This is not some stretch for Paul, this example fits us, who also follow Christ.

With this context, the ending verses of chapter 9 take greater focus. See how Paul is doing all things for all men, so that he “may share with them in [the gospel’s] blessings”? The blessings of the gospel are in view with the prize that we run to obtain. Again, the wreath (or crown) we are running to obtain is imperishable. The fierce concern Paul has to obtain this crown argues that it is not some optional extra, not merely “rewards”, but imperishable life–the blessing of the Gospel–itself. Notice also the word “disqualified”. Every other use of the word in the New Testament (Rom. 1:28; 2 Cor. 13:5,6,7; 2 Tim. 3:8; Tit. 1:16; & Heb. 6:8) is in the context of people apostasizing from Christianity altogether. The word was translated “reprobate” in the KJV. It carries the meaning of not passing the test. In the immediately following context, we should expect to understand that test not as one to see if we get an optional crown, but a test to see if we do not get “destroyed by the Destroyer”.

Philippians 3:7-14

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith–that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Notice the forceful and clear language here. Paul is saying he is suffering and fighting and giving everything up in order to gain Christ. This is not to gain extra rewards, or a more intimate knowledge of him. But Paul is presently counting everything as loss (notice the Greek present tense in verses 8ff., this connotes continual action) “in order to be found in him” with the righteousness that comes from God. That sounds like salvation. Notice also his words in vs. 11: he is striving if at all possible to “attain the resurrection from the dead”. Paul does not presume that because of past successes he certainly will reach the resurrection. He holds out the possiblilty that he might not make it at all. This is why he works so earnestly.

He could have said, so I might attain extra wonderful rewards for me. But he didn’t. He is saying he is working otwards the final consummation of his salvation. And he reitirates and stresses this point. “I haven’t already obtained this”, “I’m not already perfect”, “I am pressing forth to make this my own”, “I press toward the goal of the upward call”.

1 Timothy

For a fascinating study, trace each occurrance of the word “faith” in 1 Timothy, and see what Paul’s message about faith is, in that book. Consider his primary exhortations are for Timothy to have a “sincere faith” (1:5):

This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. (1:18-19a)

But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called…. (6:11-12a)

O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” for by professing it some have swerved from the faith. (6:20-21a)

Do OSAS people talk like Paul does in saying “take hold of eternal life”? “Fight the good fight of faith”! Some might, but most don’t. They view saving faith in the past tense. Other kinds of faith are needed for victory, and other optional Christian experiences, but the fight of faith, whereby we lay hold on eternal life, doesn’t make sense in that theology.

And if that doesn’t make sense consider how often Paul, in this one epistle, stresses that people can depart from the faith.

• people swerve from “sincere faith” (1:5-6)
• Hymenaeus and Alexander “made shipwreck of their faith” (1:19)
• “in the latter times some will depart from the faith” (4:1)
• those who don’t provide for their family have “denied the faith and [are] worse than [unbelievers]” (5:8)
• certain widows’ passions might “draw them away from Christ” leading them to “[abandon] their former faith” (5:11-12)
• The craving of the “love of money” leads some to “[wander] away from the faith and [pierce] themselves with many pangs” (6:10)
• some follow after so-called knowledge and thus “[swerve] from the faith” (6:20)

Against this backdrop of teaching, Paul’s words in 2 Timothy carry new meaning:

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (2 Tim. 4:7)

1 John 2:19

This brings us to the key to this whole issue: 1 John 2:19.

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

This verse is explicitly teaching us how we are to view those who depart from the faith–those who had faith, but unlike Paul, did not keep it. Well-meaning Arminians point out the warning passages in Hebrews along with many of the passages I’ve discussed in the last couple posts, and conclude that such persons have lost their salvation. But 1 John 2:19 speaks differently.

John tells us those who leave were never truly “of us”. They weren’t genuinely saved. Paul told the Ephesian elders that from themselves, wolves would spring up (v. 29-30). It is not that lambs became wolves, but that the wolves had “crept in unnoticed” (Jude 4). Jesus told of those who had professed Christ, but of whom Jesus said he “never knew” them (Matt. 7:21-23). Jesus didn’t know them when they were saved, and then forget them. He didn’t drop them out of his hand (John 10:28). He had never known them.

Hebrews 4:9-16

To conclude, let’s look at Hebrews 4:9-16. The context is similar to 1 Cor. 10. The hard-hearted Israelites are in view, and the author of Hebrews has told us they did not enter into the promised rest, due to their unbelief. Now here is our text.

So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword… Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses… Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Notice how “the same sort of disobedience” is potentially possible for us. So we need to strive to enter that rest. Yet such striving is really a resting from our works. This is all possible because of the Word–our Great High Priest. We can come for mercy and help. We have a throne of grace, to run to.

The race set before us, was already run by Jesus. We keep our eyes on him (Heb. 12:1-2). Perseverance means we need to keep going, keep trusting, keep depending on our Savior. We never give up, we don’t presume that we’ve arrived. We keep our nose in the Book. And when we are near the point of despair because of our sin, we run to throne of Grace and are reminded of our Glorious and Sympathetic Priest.

Perseverance is not some secret works-based salvation. It is allowing God to work in us that which is well pleasing in His sight (Phil. 2:12-13). May Christ be our focus and our stay. May God help us all to press on and grow to love Jesus more.

For further helpful links on this subject, I refer you to the previous post.