ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS OUTSIDERS MOST OFTEN ASK US

Part II: Answering The Five Questions Believers Most Often Ask Us

A. Answering The Question On Eternal Security

(John 5:24 et al.)

I. Introduction

A. Though many people have many questions about our Christian faith, we have noticed over the years ten questions that people outside of our Church most often ask us, and 1 Peter 3:15 calls us to answer them.

B. Five of the questions come from unbelievers and five from believers, so we answer them in this lesson series, and I am indebted in part to Josh McDowell, A Ready Defense, 1991, p. 405-424 for the format of the lessons.

II. Answering The Question On Eternal Security, John 5:24 et al.

A. We can state this question as follows: "Can a person once saved become lost again, especially if many Bible verses arguably teach one can lose his salvation?" (Chafer/Walvoord, Major Bible Themes, 1974, p. 220-221)

B. To answer, we first note that since we hold that all Scripture is inerrant and infallible, if any single verse in the Bible clearly, undeniably states a specific doctrinal truth, all the rest of the Scriptures must harmonize with it!

C. One such verse is John 5:24, for translated from the Greek text, it clearly, undeniably shows Jesus Christ our Lord stating that once one is saved, he can never under any condition(s) lose his salvation status (as follows):

1. We first note that three major critical texts of the Greek Testament, the Nestle/Aland Novum Testamentum Graece, 1973, p. 244; the G. D. Kilpatrick He Kaine Diatheke, 1972, p. 292- 293 and (c) the U. B. S. Greek New Testament, 1966, p. 340, show that there are no variant readings in the text at John 5:24.

2. Thus, Jesus there claimed that one who hears His word and trusts on Him Who sent Him "[currently] has" (echei, 3rd per. sing. pres. act. ind., Ibid., U. B. S. Grk. N. T.; The An. Grk. Lex., 1972, p. 179) eternal life.

3. Jesus added that this one will not come into krisis, "being punished in hell" (Ibid., Arndt & Ging., p. 453-454), but rather (alla, strong adversative to "contrast to what precedes," Ibid., p. 37-38; Ibid., U. B. S. Grk. N. T.) "is once-for-all passed over" (metabebeken, 3rd pers. sing. perf. of metabaino, "to go, pass over," Ibid.; Ibid., Arndt & Gingrich, p. 511-512; Ibid., The Analyt. Grk. Lex., p. 265) "out of the death" (prep. ek, Ibid., U. B. S. Grk. N. T.; Ibid., Arndt & Ging., p. 233-236) "into the life" (prep. eis, Ibid., U. B. S. Grk. N. T.; Ibid., Arndt & Ging., p. 227-229). Jesus here clearly taught unconditional salvation security.

D. Yet, up to eighty-five passages are given by those who deny eternal security, but as we lack the time and space to answer them all here, we show the nine ways they are mishandled: (Ibid., Chafer/Walvoord, p. 220-223)

1. Some passages are thought to describe believers who lose their salvation when they actually speak of the unsaved as in 1 Timothy 4:1-3 where apostates turn from the "faith," from the Christian body of truth.

2. Some passages are thought to speak of salvation when they actually deal with the evidence of salvation as in the case of James 2:14-26 that teaches a true faith in Christ will yield true works, especially James 2:18.

3. Some passages like Jude 5-12 are held to teach a loss of salvation when they actually warn of a false faith.

4. Some passages thought to teach one can lose his salvation only speak of rewards as in 1 Corinthians 9:23-27 where being a "castaway" refers to becoming useless in Christian service due to sinful acts, 1 Cor. 3:14.

5. Some misunderstood passages deal only with a believer's temporal loss of fellowship as in James 4:1-10.

6. Some passages are thought to teach a loss of salvation when they actually speak of the physical loss of life in divine discipline of believers, with some examples being 1 John 5:16; 1 Corinthians 5:3-5; John 15:2.

7. Some passages like Galatians 5:1-4 use the phrase "fallen from grace" not to describe a loss of salvation as is held by some, but failure to live by God's grace in "falling" to the carnal plane of legalism. (Gal. 3:1-5)

8. Some passages like Psalm 51:11 where David asked God not to take His Holy Spirit from him are used out of context to teach a loss of salvation. Actually, the Spirit could leave a believer under the Law without affecting his salvation where He now always abides with true believers, cf. John 14:17; Ephesians 1:13-14.

9. Some passages are misused for failure to know the original languages or manuscript evidence. Revelation 22:19 KJV reads "book of life" and implies one can be blotted out of the book of life to lose his salvation where every Greek manuscript there reads "share of the tree of life," a warning to unbelievers! (James R. White, The King James Only Controversy, 1995, p. 66; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, ftn. to Rev. 22:19)

Lesson: John 5:24 clearly, undeniably states the doctrine of unconditional salvation security, and every Scripture passage used by those who deny this belief we explain in support of John 5:24, so the doctrine stands as the truth.

Application: May we hold to the doctrine of unconditional salvation security, and answer all who ask us about it.