Posted on 06/08/2017 5:24:08 PM PDT by ealgeone
Question: "Is eternal security a "license" to sin?"
Answer: The most frequent objection to the doctrine of eternal security is that it supposedly allows people to live any way that they want and still be saved. While this may be "technically" true, it is not true in reality. A person who has truly been redeemed by Jesus Christ will not live a life characterized by continuous, willful sin. We must draw a distinction between how a Christian should live and what a person must do in order to receive salvation.
The Bible is clear that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 14:6). The moment a person truly believes in Jesus Christ, he or she is saved and secure in that salvation. It is unbiblical to say that salvation is received by faith, but then has to be maintained by works. The apostle Paul addresses this issue in Galatians 3:3 when he asks, "Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" If we are saved by faith, our salvation is also maintained and secured by faith. We cannot earn our own salvation. Therefore, neither can we earn the maintenance of our salvation. It is God who maintains our salvation (Jude 24). It is God's hand that holds us firmly in His grasp (John 10:28-29). It is God's love that nothing can separate us from (Romans 8:38-39).
Any denial of eternal security is, in its essence, a belief that we must maintain our own salvation by our own good works and efforts. This is completely antithetical to salvation by grace. We are saved because of Christ's merits, not our own (Romans 4:3-8). To claim that we must obey God's Word or live a godly life to maintain our salvation is saying that Jesus' death was not sufficient to pay the penalty for our sins. Jesus' death was absolutely sufficient to pay for all of our sins—past, present, and future, pre-salvation and post-salvation (Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
Does this mean that a Christian can live any way he wants to and still be saved? This is essentially a hypothetical question, because the Bible makes it clear that a true Christian will not live "any way he wants to." Christians are new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). Christians demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), not the acts of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21). First John 3:6-9 clearly states that a true Christian will not live in continual sin. In response to the accusation that grace promotes sin, the apostle Paul declared, "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" (Romans 6:1-2).
Eternal security is not a license to sin. Rather, it is the security of knowing that God's love is guaranteed for those who trust in Christ. Knowing and understanding God's tremendous gift of salvation accomplishes the opposite of giving a license to sin. How could anyone, knowing the price Jesus Christ paid for us, go on to live a life of sin (Romans 6:15-23)? How could anyone who understands God's unconditional and guaranteed love for those who believe, take that love and throw it back in God's face? Such a person is demonstrating not that eternal security has given him a license to sin, but rather that he or she has not truly experienced salvation through Jesus Christ. "No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him" (1 John 3:6).
There are those who practice sinning. And there are those who practice righteousness. Those who practice righteousness fall into sin. Those who practice sinning are lawless.
I'm not sure how many times John has to state this. This isn't Revelation. But I understand your confusion as long as you believe in "free will". Under your soteriology you will never understand this passage along with many others. Under "free will" everyone is free to practice whatever they choose. This is heresy (not to mention totally confusing doctrine).
Thank you for posting that. I now understand what you mean.
An example would be a Muslim, serial adulterer, becomes Christian. They see and understand just how bad adultery is, and in conformity to God’s law, stops committing adultery. He may still look on women sinfully, from time to time, but has stopped the practice of adultery.
Fortunately, he exercised his free will, and stopped the practice out of love of God. He refrained from habitual behavior because he developed an understanding, and love for God he didn’t have before. Not that he isn’t tempted, just that he chooses not to engage in the temptation.
It’s all one classification: sinning. But the Lord speaks to us about where sin begins, in the heart. As your post shows and many other verses of God’s word.
Thank you.
that clarifies it a LOT.
You reject salvation by rejecting Christ, not the Law.
No, I have to believe and acknowledge Jesus as my Lord, by my own submission.
True.
I also have to love my neighbor as my self, as well providing for those in physical and spiritual need.
No, you do not have to do any of those things but as you mature in Christ you will find yourself doing those things.
But they are not necessary, not requirements for salvation.
Nobody is worthy of forgiveness.
That's the whole point of forgiving and grace.
If someone is worthy of it, then what is given to them is wages due for work performed.
NOBODY IS WORTHY OF FORGIVENESS!!!!!
Or grace, or salvation, or anything.
Salvation is a GIFT. God gives it to us freely for the asking but we have to ask and receive it, accept it for ourselves.
Romans 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
An unbeliever cannot stop sinning unless God so wills it. This comes directly out of the Catholic Council of Orange:
CANON 4. If anyone maintains that God awaits our will to be cleansed from sin, but does not confess that even our will to be cleansed comes to us through the infusion and working of the Holy Spirit, he resists the Holy Spirit himself who says through Solomon, "The will is prepared by the Lord" (Prov. 8:35, LXX), and the salutary word of the Apostle, "For God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13).
CANON 7. If anyone affirms that we can form any right opinion or make any right choice which relates to the salvation of eternal life, as is expedient for us, or that we can be saved, that is, assent to the preaching of the gospel through our natural powers without the illumination and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, who makes all men gladly assent to and believe in the truth, he is led astray by a heretical spirit, and does not understand the voice of God who says in the Gospel, "For apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5), and the word of the Apostle, "Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God" (2 Cor. 3:5).
CANON 8. If anyone maintains that some are able to come to the grace of baptism by mercy but others through free will, which has manifestly been corrupted in all those who have been born after the transgression of the first man, it is proof that he has no place in the true faith. For he denies that the free will of all men has been weakened through the sin of the first man, or at least holds that it has been affected in such a way that they have still the ability to seek the mystery of eternal salvation by themselves without the revelation of God. The Lord himself shows how contradictory this is by declaring that no one is able to come to him "unless the Father who sent me draws him" (John 6:44), as he also says to Peter, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 16:17), and as the Apostle says, "No one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:3).
CANON 23. Concerning the will of God and of man. Men do their own will and not the will of God when they do what displeases him; but when they follow their own will and comply with the will of God, however willingly they do so, yet it is his will by which what they will is both prepared and instructed.
In your example, if a Muslim were to become a Christian, it is only because God has so enlightened His heart and brought him to the point where he will repent. It isn't because of something he's done by his "will". As Canon 23 states, man does their own will-not God's will. God changes the heart to comply with His will.
Any other view is not the true faith according to the Council of Orange. I happen to agree with their analysis.
I need some time to read up on the Council, as it was in 529. It had to do with Augustine vs Pelagius.
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
1 John 2:3-5
Be ready for the Lord. If you’re sinning when he returns, what do you think will come of it? Let’s see what the God’s word says:
1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
1 John 3:1-8
I would think it’s reasonable to say we do have free will. What makes it so slippery is our will is divided into two warring factions, flesh and spirit.
What motivates me to post on threads like this one is to help anyone who might be tempted to sin because of deceptive spirits telling them “don’t worry, all Christians sin.”
You all and others here have posted good comments and for this I thank you.
Be ready for the Lord. If you’re sinning when he returns, what do you think will come of it? Please see post #92.
That is a mark of a true believer.
Do you think it’s possible to not be sinning when the Lord comes?
If you think that you can go without sinning, then you must sleep a LOT!
I think it’s possible in any given moment to be in a conscious state of having turned from your sins.
1John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
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