Since we could have no assurance of salvation if the preservation of our faith depended upon our ability to endure rather than on God's grace, it is a great comfort to know that we are kept by the grace of God. Without His sustaining grace we would either live in constant fear (never knowing if we would endure to the end), lull ourselves into a carnal security (thinking that others may fall away but never us), or look to works for assurance, thereby destroying our faith while trying to preserve it. For that reason, we must never allow God's promise of sustaining grace (eternal security) to be denied or perverted. To that end, we each have a responsibility to bring what we teach about eternal security into agreement with everything that the Bible says (Isaiah 8:20)

    In viewing this issue, there are two ways of dividing it. We can draw the line between those who teach that we can lose salvation and those who teach that we cannot lose it. Or we can draw the line between those who claim that works keep us from losing salvation and those who hold that grace and grace alone keeps us from losing salvation. Therefore, let us begin by considering both views.

THE IMPORTANCE OF RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD

    Those who deny that a person who has been saved can ever lose salvation, back themselves into a corner, for they will have to explain away any Bible passages that warn of the danger of losing salvation. In contrast, those who entrust the preservation of their faith to God's grace have no need to explain those Bible passages away, for they are not denying that they can fall, they are simply trusting in God's grace to keep them from falling. In fact, they should be able to confidently say, "without God's help I would surely fall, for there is no way that I can keep myself saved."

    What needs to be understood is that the passages which warn of the danger of losing salvation are law, and as law are God's message to the unrepentant (1 Timothy 1:9). However, the passages that assure us that God will keep us from falling are gospel, and as gospel are God's promise of sustaining grace to those who trust in Christ (Galatians 3:22).

    For example: when the Bible says, "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace," or "if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins," those warnings are meant for the unrepentant (Galatians 5:4, Hebrews 10:26). Such warnings should strike terror into the hearts of those who are guilty, leading them to cry out to God for mercy. At the same time, those who trust in Christ should trust in His promise to keep them from falling, and not worry about such warnings. Those warnings do not apply to them.

LOSING THE HIGH MORAL GROUND

    As Christians our doctrine should always be exactly what the Bible says. We should never place ourselves in a position where we feel compelled to explain away what the Bible says in order to defend our theology. Those who feel compelled to explain away what the Bible says have lost the high moral ground by placing themselves in opposition to the Word of God.

    For example: suppose you are discussing the subject of eternal security with a person who is trusting in works. During the discussion, reference is made to Luke 8:13, which says, "these have no root which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away." If you deny that anyone can "fall away," you will undermine your testimony by contradicting Scripture. In other words, how can you expect someone to believe what you say about eternal security, if you are contradicting Scripture? On the other hand, your testimony will be far more effective if (in response to Luke 8:13) you simply say, yes there is always a danger of falling away. However, the Bible tells us that God is able to keep us from falling (Jude 1:24). Furthermore, the words, "none can keep alive his own soul" make it clear that we all need God's help, and without His help would wind up losing salvation (Psalm 22:29).

<>COUNTING THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT AS AN UNHOLY THING

    Those who insist that salvation can never be lost, often undermine their own credibility by claiming that a person can live a life of open sin and rebellion against God and still be saved. Since those who hold that view contradict the words, "if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins" it is all too obvious that their opinion is not Scriptural (Hebrews 10:26). In fact, they not only contradict Scripture, but also encourage unrepentance (by leading the unrepentant to think that they are in no danger of going to hell) while discrediting the gospel by placing it in opposition to repentance.

    Conversely, those who do not deny the danger of falling are never in a position where they feel compelled to claim that a person can live in sin and still remain saved. In fact, when faced with that question they can confidently say, God keeps us saved by keeping us repentant, not by letting us sin.

TRUSTING IN THE WISDOM OF MEN

    Those who pervert God's promise to keep us from falling, by claiming that salvation can never be lost, often undermine the testimony of the gospel by using foolish and easily refuted arguments to defend their unscriptural ideas.

    One such argument is the claim that once a person's name has been written in the Lamb's book of life it can never be taken out because God does not have an eraser. If someone who has heard that claim reads, Revelation 3:5, "I will not blot his name out of the book of life" it will be obvious to him that God does have an eraser. That revelation may lead him to reject the truth of the gospel along with the myth that God does not have an eraser.

    Another foolish argument claims that since a person who has been born in the natural way cannot be unborn, a person who has been born again cannot be unborn. If someone who has heard that claim reads, 1 Corinthians 8:11, "through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died" it will be obvious to him that just as a child born in the natural way can die, a person who has been born again can die. That revelation may then lead him to reject the truth of the gospel along with the myth that salvation can never be lost. [Also remember that the Bible says we are adopted into God's family (Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:5).]

SOME THOUGHTS TO PONDER

    Just as a person must believe that he can go to hell before he can trust in Christ to keep him from going there, he must believe that he can lose salvation before he can trust in Christ to keep him from losing it.

    Those who fear that they might lose salvation, need to commit the preservation of their soul to God's care, trusting in His promise to keep that which is committed unto Him (2 Timothy 1:12, 1 Peter 1:5, Jude 24, 1 Corinthians 1:18)

CONCLUSION

    Because our faith is a gift of God, it is God who keeps us in faith. Furthermore, we have His promise that he will do just that! And all that He has promised belongs to those who trust in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20). However, just as God worked through His Word to bring us to faith, He works through His Word to keep us in faith (Romans 10:17, John 21:15-18). And it is only as we stay close to His Word that we stay strong in faith.