ETERNAL
SECURITY - NO ‘IF’S AND ‘BUT’S?ETERNAL
SECURITY - NO ‘IF’S AND ‘BUT’S?
This paper is a comment upon the pamphlet, "Eternal Security" by Dr. Peter S. Ruckman of the Pensacola Bible Baptist Bookstore, Pensacola, U.S.A.. "Eternal Security" is another name for what some call "Once Saved, Saved For Ever". We will look at each verse quoted. To do this it is necessary to consider Greek grammar, and this will be explained as we go along. Then we can look at the conclusions in the pamphlet. Through this paper the word "if" will be in bold print.
Verse one. 2 Corinthians 3:11-15.
11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
The emphasis in the pamphlet is on the last verse upon which the comment is made, "The believer may suffer the loss of rewards, but he himself will be saved". What is not considered are the very next two verses. These show that a condition is involved, and that something important has been missed out.
The quality of ‘work’ and defilement are NOT the same thing. Backsliding and rejecting God are NOT the same thing. Backsliding is recoverable, whilst rejection of God is not. The word for ‘defile’ is usually translated as ‘corrupt’ or ‘corruption’ in the KJV.
VERSE TWO.
The comment in the pamphlet upon the verse is, "The believer has the promise of the Lord Jesus Christ that he shall not come unto condemnation".
The suggestion here is that is that if a person once believed and later stopped believing, then he could never be condemned for no longer being in a believing state.
‘Heareth’ and ‘believeth’ and ‘is passed’ are all active in voice, and present in tense. They are verbal nouns meaning ‘is hearing’ ‘is believing’ and ‘is presently passsed’. The same applies to John 10:27-28, "My sheep hear my voice", or "are hearing my voice" in the present tense. What this means is that there is no inference at all about "having once believed" and then still being called a ‘believer’. It is like saying that a person had years before "Given their heart to the Lord", when that person’s heart had long been anything other than toward the Lord, and then inferring that they were still on the way to heaven.
VERSE THREE.
The comment here is, "The believer is sealed unto the day of the redemption of his body".
Again ‘grieve not’ is present, active and imperative. ‘Is sealed’ is aorist, passive and indicative which means it will always happen as a present consequence of an action. It shows a consequence of what is being done at a given point in time, or present state. This does NOT refer to something that happened in the past, if that something has been discontinued.
NOTE: The aorist tense is characterized by its emphasis on punctiliar action; that is, the concept of the verb is considered without regard for past, present, or future time. There is no direct or clear English equivalent for this tense.
The passive voice represents the subject as being the recipient of the action. E.g., in the sentence, "The boy was hit by the ball," the boy receives the action.
VERSE FOUR
The comment given is:
"The believer is kept by GOD’S power, and not his own. His conduct cannot affect his salvation".
The words "Are kept’ are present, passive and participle.
NOTE: The Greek participle corresponds for the most part to the English participle, reflecting "-ing" or "-ed" being suffixed to the basic verb form. The participle can be used either like a verb or a noun, as in English, and thus is often termed a "verbal noun".
Peter goes on to emphasise the matter of being obedient children.
Note the last word, "fear" because this appears later in the phamphlet.
This matter of obedience is ignored completely in the pamphlet. This is the popular vogue. The two passages below from this chapter show the place of obedience in this. Thus the statement about conduct not affecting salvation is not true. Conduct is vital. If one has left "The Way" in willful knowing disobedience, then that person is simply not walking in that Way. As for the statement, "His conduct cannot affect his salvation", this is a gross misrepresentation of what the word means, and how it is used. A mere looking up of the word of a concordance will convince anyone.
Salvation is intimately connected with behaviour.
Yes, work and labour! And, as for tenses and such meaningful things, consider:
1 Thess 5:8 Hope of salvation.
1 Thess. 6:9 To obtain salvation.
2 Tim. 2:10 That they may obtain salvation.
2 Tim. 3:15 Wise unto salvation.
Heb. 1:14 Heirs of salvation
Heb. 9:28 Unto salvation
1 Peter 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
VERSE FIVE.
The statement is made, "God wants the believer to KNOW that he has eternal life as a present possession".
‘Have I written’ is aorist, active in voice and indicative in mood, ‘and believe’ is present, active and participle. This carries the sense of "are believing", not that of "having believed" some time in the past.. What the pamphlet does is ignore the conditional "if"s that follow on. This confidence must remain a present possession, not a memory of something that happened in the past.
It is true, a present believer has a present possession. But the presumption is made that he cannot ever "fall away" in the future. The word "believer" needs positive definition. The present believer does have eternal life and knows it. Jesus confirms this:
If the portion becomes "with the unbelievers", then they have the same destiny and destination, as unbelievers together. This verse has application to ‘Verse One’ on page one.
VERSE SIX.
The statement made is, "God wants the believer to be CONFIDENT that he will keep the believer eternally secure".
The grammar is a little different and ‘being confident’ is perfect in tense, active in voice and participle in mood. ‘Hath begun" is aorist in tense, whereas ‘will perform" is future in tense.
NOTE: The perfect tense in Greek corresponds to the perfect tense in English, and describes an action which is viewed as having been completed in the past, once and for all, not needing to be repeated. Jesus’ last cry from the cross, TETELESTAI ("It is finished!") is a good example of the perfect tense used in this sense, namely "It [the atonement] has been accomplished, completely, once and for all time."
Paul goes on the say that it is for us to continue to allow the mind of Christ to dwell in us, and whilst we continue to do this, we are secure. We are then confident of our eternal security in terms of what Jesus accomplished once and for all time for us.
VERSE SEVEN.
The statement made is, "The believer in Christ is a NEW CREATURE, and NOTHING can separate him from the love of God".
The word "nothing" does not appear in this passage!! It is an invalid inference and supposition. We ourselves can turn from God. There is nothing at all about a "new creature" in the context, either. Where the word ‘new" is used in ‘new creation", it has the meaning of recently made, fresh, recent, unused, unworn, of a new kind, unprecedented, novel, uncommon, and unheard.-[Strongs].
There are seven ‘if’s in this chapter. "If" is a primary particle of conditionality. The first verse of this chapter sets the context of which the tense is a part. We have seen that nothing other than a person by his own actions in self-defilement can separate him from the love of God.
THE CONCLUSIONS OF THE PAMPHLET.
The pamphlet continues in its conclusions:
The Bible does not use the words "children" and "sons" interchangeably as the above paragraph does. A "child" = teknon can become a "son" = huios, but he does not automatically become a "son", that is one who will attain to the resurrection.
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The latter paragraph is only fully true so long as son does not reject his birthright position. Whilst nothing else can separate a Christian from the love of God, he himself can do so. This is consistent Bible teaching. We see this in the example of Esau who could not find repentance even if he sought it with tears. Let us look at this, and other examples.
ESAU AS AN EXAMPLE.
It was Esau’s deliberate sin of rejection which made it impossible for him to regain his birthright position. In condemning the Judean leadership, Jesus told them in Mark 7:9, "Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition". This pamphlet is expressing a modern-day tradition that is also an ancient error.
THE DOG RETURNING TO ITS VOMIT, AND THE PIG TO THE MIRE.
Once again there is an ‘if’. The matter of the latter end being worse than the beginning, and for it to be better not to have known the way of righteousness, is a confirmation of what happened to Esau.
FALLING AWAY AS AN EXAMPLE.
"Falling away" is another way to become separated from God. Again it is from that person’s own action.
It is not commonly taught that in falling away it can become impossible to be renewed again unto repentance as we have seen in the example of Esau. Being burned in his end does not sound a bit like just losing just rewards, even to a dull mind.
Jesus pointed this out too. Again it is the consequence of that person’s actions.
Peter likewise tells us the same thing.
BECOMING A BASTARD AS AN EXAMPLE.
God’s children = teknon are begotten as "children", and as the pamphlet rightly points out, conduct does not change this. Jesus came, "To save His people from their sins" in order that these "children" might become "sons" = huios of God. This is where faith and conduct comes in. "Children" and "sons" are not the same thing. "Children" have to be changed from an unsaved state to a saved state as "sons" to have an eternal inheritance.
Likewise, Abraham’s "seed" = sperma may not be Abraham’s "children" = teknon, that is, be through Isaac. These "children" = teknon may or may not become "sons" = huios, or sons of the resurrection.
The verse above is another with an "if" in it. Jesus says in Revelation 3:19, " As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent". The ‘if’ in the verse above is about whether or not we receive the chastening and repent when corrected. If not we are no longer "sons", even if still "children". Therefore behaviour does determine whether or not we are teknon or huios. Because of these things the argument in the pamphlet is superficial, misleading and therefore dangerous. It could lead to slackness and a false sense of security; that is, people could live outside of being zealous about repenting, and thus becoming bastards and not sons any longer.
‘Enduring’ and to ‘run in a race’ are part of the package.
Matthew 10:22 But he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
1 Corinthians 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
WILLFUL SIN AS AN EXAMPLE.
Then there is the matter of willful sin. Again it is that person’s own actions by which he is separated from God.
Sinning wilfully is not treated as being a ‘fearful thing’ today. So, when the pamphlet states, "All believers should have no fear of losing God’s salvation", this is very true, but it is conditional. If love is to be made perfect as the verse quoted says, then the person concerned has to be walking in love himself. There is another verse which talks about how love is made perfect.
Thus it is a present tense keeping of God’s word. We are also told what love is in definition form.
John 26 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments.
These are not just unpopular Scriptures today; they are denied almost universally. Law has become non-law by tradition and love has become sentimentality.
Continuation in the manner started with, is part of the package. That is, if we do not continue in His Word we no longer qualify as His disciples. We have to take careful note of the "if"s here and everywhere else.
We always have the choice to continue or to not continue. Our choice has a consequence, one of which could be separation from God if persisted in and practiced.
We are told in Galatians that it is possible to receive the grace of God in vain.
The pamphlet suggestion is that no one could ever be "cut off". The ‘if’ conditions are all denied.
The next verse is a summation of the position. It still has the "if".
REMOVAL FROM THE BOOK OF LIFE.
Let us hear indeed what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Very few churches ‘hear’ this or any "if’. Most simply refuse to believe that a name can be blotted out of the Book of Life.
THE UNPROFITABLE SERVANT.
Like the other servants of God, this one was given a talent to use, "according to his ability", but this one had fear and did not use the talent. We read:
THE EVIL SERVANT.
THE REMOVAL OF A CANDLESTICK.
Here repent is in the subjunctive mood. The pronouns are second person singular.
NOTE: The subjunctive mood is the mood of possibility and potentiality. The action described may or may not occur, depending upon circumstances.
"Else" means "otherwise". Therefore, a candlestick can be removed unless the condition is met..
THE SEED UPON A ROCK.
These ‘hear’, ‘receive the Word’ and for ‘a while believe’. It is popular to say that people who go back or fall away never really believed in the first place, but the Word says here that they believed for awhile.
"FEAR".
The pamphlet states, "All believers should have no fear of losing their salvation". The inference is that past belief is the same as present belief. Yes, there is no fear in love, because according to the connection between love and obedience, to walk in love is to walk with a clean conscience, or heart. With a clean heart there is indeed no fear. Without a clean heart there is fear. It is simply wrong to say, "All believers should have no fear of losing God’s salvation". That is a lie. The "in love" is the condition. There are two sides to fear. On one hand we are commanded to "fear not" [this applies only to disciples-in-present-practice], and on the other hand there are commandments to walk in the fear of God.
Let us look through many verses with the word and command "fear" in them. This will enable us to compare Scripture with Scripture to get a good idea of what this is about without have to make comment on each verse.
We have already have read:
Then we can find many other verses with the word "fear" in them.
THERE IS NO CONFLICT BETWEEN TESTAMENTS.
The New Testament only has been quoted because of the attitude taken against the Old Testament by people who hold the "Eternal Security" view in the way presented in the pamphlet. To them Moses and the Prophets are at odds with Jesus, but Jesus makes it clear that this is not so.
The Two Testaments are not in conflict. The "Eternal Security" people are not really in favour of the word, "obedience"; to them obedience is supposed to be "works" that is somehow supposed to be in opposition to "grace". It is much easier to try to widen the "Way" than to walk in the narrow way.
This is not a popular doctrine, especially amongst those who think a Christian can do what he likes and still go to heaven, losing only his ‘rewards’ but not eternal life. It is a good incentive not to obey God; there is no need to die to self any more. But we are told in fact , "If we be dead with him, we shall reign with him". So it is not so otherwise.
ARE ‘REWARDS’ AND ‘ETERNAL LIFE’ THE SAME?
Let us see.
Here we see the connection between "the reward" and "the inheritance". One is intimately connected with the other. Could they ever be separated? Read through the following verses and judge for yourself. Look at the tenses and what else is connected with ‘the inheritance’. Then judge the pamphlet.
There is no conflict between these verses and the following verses used by the pamphlet.
If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
The test is by fire. The fire will determine if it is a matter of backsliding, or one of rebellion and the selling of the birthright. The branch on the vine may recover if withering. Once severed they are to be burned. Jesus says there is an ‘if’.
The pamphlet denies this ‘if’ of Jesus. It also ignores a good part of what the KJV tranlates as:
WHO CAN SAY THERE ARE NO ‘IF’S AND ‘BUT’S?
if 1,494 times
but 3,994 times
whosoever 183 times
whatsoever 152 times
therefore 1,237 times
because 1,209 times
This gives some 8,269 words that need investigating because many of these infer some condition similar to an ‘if’. Then there are all the warnings, the ‘beware’s and the ‘verily I say unto you’s, in all over 10,000 occurances.
Final comment.
‘Eternal Security’ is found by staying close to the Shepherd. There are boundaries we are to stay within so that God’s love can reach us. Perhaps the best illustration is given in 1 John, where are told just what the message is. Note again, there are two ‘ifs ’ in this passage.
There is ‘Eternal Security’ whilst we are ‘walking in the light’. There is never any suggestion that "The Blood" covers sin otherwise. THIS IS THE VITAL ‘’IF’.
But, even with the ‘if’s, God is still patient and longsuffering with His people.
Praise God for his nature, patience and character. BUT HE DOES SET LIMITS. We find this set out in the Book of Hebrews, chapter four. There is still the word ‘if’ appearing here.
Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. 9There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him. What then if we do not obey Him?
Present repentance and present obedience are the ‘if’ of eternal security.
1 John 3:21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
