Eternal Security

Scriptures that Seem to Contradict:

• Hebrews 6 vv 4 - 6
  These verses must be understood in the light of the whole epistle. Paul (and I do believe that Paul was the inspired author of Hebrews) was writing to Jewish people, some of whom were saved, but many were in the process of turning to Jesus as their true Messiah and Saviour. Some, however, may have been having second thoughts, were drawing back to Judaism and not entering fully in. Here were professed believers who fell short of faith in Christ after advancing to the very threshold of salvation, even ' going along with' the Holy Spirit in His work of enlightenment and conviction. It is not said that they had faith. This supposed person is like the spies at Kadesh-barnea (Deut 1 vv 19-26) who saw the land and had the very fruit of it in their hands and yet turned back." (C.I. Scofield Bible - footnote)

  God's Holy Spirit will not always strive with man. If after such revelation, such enlightenment, such conviction, such sure knowledge, people still reject the Lord Jesus Christ as the only Saviour, then if they shall fall away it is impossible to renew them to repentance. (If one interprets this scripture as an example of a believer falling away, then there is no hope for those that backslide, probably no hope for anyone).
  "But beloved, we are persuaded better things of you and things that accompany salvation..." Hebrews 6 v 9

• Hebrews 10 v 26
  Again, this must be understood in the same light or else there is no hope for anyone.

  "For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins but a certain fearful looking for of judgement and fiery indignation..."

  If those Jews who have seen that Jesus is the Messiah, the fulfilment and completion of all that God had spoken to His people in the past, if they refuse to come to Him, reject Him, sinning wilfully, then they have only hell to look forward to. But if they hold fast the beginning of their confidence steadfast unto the end (or to completion), then they will be made partakers of Christ; they will be reconciled to God; saved. (Heb. 3 v 14) The rest of chapter 10 can be understood in this way. Verse 32 recalls their initial illumination, their realisation of the truth, verse 33 the conflict as they began to turn from dead Judaism and move towards Christ; Verses 35 to 37 contain the exhortation of the apostle to go on to embrace Christ fully, to yield all to Him and receive His salvation. Go on unto perfection or completeness (Heb 6 v 1). Verse 38 warns of the danger of drawing back and not going on to full faith - chapter 12 v 25 has a similar warning. Therefore, it has nothing to do with losing salvation but falling short of it.

  Verse 39 is the key as far as true believers are concerned. They have and will keep their salvation.

  "But WE (we who are saved as opposed to YOU who are moving in the direction of the Lord) are not of them who draw back to perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul."

• 2 Peter and Jude
  Peter also warns Jewish believers and potential Jewish believers - for his epistles are to the dispersion, Jews scattered from their homeland (In 1 Peter 1 v 1 the Greek word is Diaspora, dispersion, but translated as 'scattered' in the AV) - to make their calling and election (as Jews) sure by believing upon Jesus Christ as Saviour and entering His kingdom....then they would never fall. 2 Peter 1 vv 8-11

  In 2 Peter and Jude, there are warnings , with examples from the Old Testament, about the fate of apostates. What we must realise is that these apostates were never saved in the first place. Apostasy is not the saved falling away from salvation, but rather unbelievers rebelliously and deliberately 'standing apart from' salvation. In 2 Peter 2 vv 20,21, these apostates seek to bring others into similar corruption. They have been brought to a place of escape from the corruption of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ but have stood apart from Him and become entangled in the pollutions of the world. The dog turns again to his own vomit, the sow that was washed to its wallowing in the mire. In other words, there was no real change, no new birth; the dog was still a dog; the sow still a sow. "But if anyone be in Christ, he is a new creature...." 1 Corinthians 5 v 17.

  In Jude, examples are brought from the Old Testament of those saved from Egypt whom the Lord destroyed, the angels which kept not their first estate and Sodom and Gomorrah. But these are not examples of believers losing salvation. These are examples of 'filthy dreamers' (v8), "these be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit" (v19). And if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. Romans 8 v 9

  By contrast, the saints in Jude are "sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ and called...." - verse 1. Verse 24 reminds us that He is able to keep us from falling and to present us faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.

• Matthew 10 v 22; 24 v 13;
  He that endures to the end shall be saved.

  The context of this is not the gospel of salvation by faith. For the believer in this time of God's grace, it is "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved." ....justification by faith. During the Great Tribulation, after the Church has been raptured, then it will be a case of enduring to the end. The allusion in these Scriptures is to those troublesome and terrible times and has particular reference to the people of Israel.

The backslidden Christian cannot lose his salvation. His life will be most miserable, as restored backsliders will confirm. One thus hopes and prays for their restoration. Of course, people will always be able to remember someone they knew who seemed to be a Christian, was perhaps baptised in water, even, seemingly, filled with the Holy Spirit, but who went away from the Lord, rejecting and renouncing everything and now appears utterly lost. Such were never saved:

"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they no doubt would have continued with us but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us." (1John 2 v 19)

Doubtless, there are many more scriptural references, types and pictures we could study, but the above is sufficient to show the scriptural basis of the doctrine of eternal security. Now, you who are saved.......

".....in everything you are enriched by Him, in all utterance and all knowledge; even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you; so that you come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall also confirm you unto the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful...."

You too can rejoice and say with Paul,

"For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.
"And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom:" II Timothy 1 v 12 and 4 v 18