A BIBLICAL POSITION ON

DIVINE PRESERVATION

By

Gary Ray Branscome

 
    For centuries a controversy has raged between those who claim that once a person is saved he can never fall away, and those who believe that they are in constant danger of falling. This controversy centers around the issue of grace verses works, and it continues to exist because both parties explain away any Bible passages that contradict their own viewpoint. Therefore, I will endeavor to show why both sides in this controversy are wrong, while presenting a Biblical alternative.

WHY THOSE WHO TEACH
"ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED" ARE WRONG


    Those who take the position "Once saved, always saved" teach for doctrine certain conclusions deduced from statements such as, "I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand" (John 10:28). The problem with their doctrine stems from the fact that some of those conclusions contradict the Bible. Furthermore, instead of rejecting those conclusions because they contradict God's Word, they reject God's Word by explaining it away (Isaiah 8:20).

FOR EXAMPLE:

1- They assume that if those who believe "shall never perish," then no one who believes will ever cease to believe. That conclusion is wrong because the Bible plainly tells us that some "for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away" (Luke 8:13).

2- They then assume that if no one can ever cease to believe, then once a person has been saved, he will remain saved even if he engages in willful and open sin while hardening his heart in unrepentance. That assumption is wrong because the Bible plainly tells us that, "if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins" (Hebrews 10:26).


WHY THOSE WHO TEACH THAT WE
ARE IN CONSTANT DANGER OF FALLING ARE WRONG


    Those who claim that we are in constant danger of falling, try to correct the errors mentioned above without really understanding what the Bible says about Divine preservation. As a result, they simply wind up replacing one set of errors with another. They begin by assuming that we must keep ourselves from falling, and when passages that say otherwise are called to their attention, instead of rejecting their own opinions they reject God's Word by explaining it away (Isaiah 8:20).

FOR EXAMPLE:

1- Since they assume that we come to faith through and act of our will, they also assume that staying saved requires an act of our will. Those assumptions are wrong because the Bible plainly tells us that "no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost," and "none can keep alive his own soul" (1 Corinthians 12:3, Psalms 22:29).

2- Since willful sin brings condemnation, they then assume that keeping God's law is a prerequisite for remaining saved. That assumption is wrong because the Bible says, "by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" and "if by grace, then it is no more of works" (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 11:6).


A BIBLICAL VIEW OF DIVINE PRESERVATION


    Those who take the position "once saved always saved," begin with the Bible passages that tell us we are "kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation" (1 Peter 1:5). Since that is something that the Bible says, we know it is true. However, the conclusions they draw from that truth contradict God's Word, and that indicates that they have not understood the Bible correctly. Therefore, in order to have the correct doctrine, we must first acquire a biblical understanding of Divine preservation. Once we have that understanding our conclusions will be in accord with all that the Bible says (Isaiah 8:20).

    For example: If we begin by assuming that we cannot lose salvation, we will wind up concluding that we cannot lose it, no matter how wickedly we behave, or how unrepentant we are. However, if we begin by believing that God keeps us from losing our salvation, and that without His help we surely would lose it, we will not draw those unbiblical conclusions.

    Therefore, a Biblical view of divine preservation begins with the fact that without God's help there is no way that we could keep from losing our salvation (Psalm 22:29). Hence, we are kept by grace! And the grace by which we are kept, like God's grace in general, comes to us through faith in God's promises (Galatians 3:22, 2 Corinthians 1:20). Thus, when the Bible says that we are "kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation," the "power of God" is the power of the gospel, and the words "through faith" tell us that we receive that sustaining grace through faith in God's promise (Romans 1:16 and 5:2).

    In other words, just as we were brought to faith through the power of the gospel, we are kept in faith through the power of the gospel (1 Corinthians 3:6). And, just as God brought us to faith by bringing us to repentance, so He keeps us in faith by keeping us repentant, not by letting us sin. This view of divine preservation does not lead to false conclusions, but instead agrees with all that the Bible says.

    It agrees with God's promises to keep us from falling, and with the fact that we are kept by His grace (John 10:28-29, 1 Peter 1:5, Jude 1:24, 2 Timothy 1:12, Romans 8:38-39).
    At the same time, it also agrees with the passages that warn us of the danger of losing our salvation (Luke 8:13, 1 Corinthians 9:27, Galatians 5:4, Hebrews 6:4-6 and 10:26).

WALKING IN THE LIGHT


    Once we understand that God keeps us by His grace, it should be clear that the passages that warn us of the danger of losing our salvation are meant for the unrepentant. As warnings they are law, not gospel, and only the unrepentant are under the law (1 Timothy 1:9). In contrast, the passages that assure us of God's sustaining grace are gospel, and like all promises of the gospel, they belong to those who trust in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20).

CONCLUSION


    While God wants us to entrust the preservation of our faith to His grace, those who deny that we can lose salvation, and those who try to keep it by their own efforts, both reject His sustaining grace. One denies that His grace is even needed, while the other fails to trust in it. The biblical doctrine that I have just presented avoids those errors by acknowledging our need for God's sustaining grace, while trusting in His promise of divine preservation.