THE BEGINNING OF SALVATION
THE CONTINUANCE OF SALVATION
THE COMPLETION OF SALVATION
The doctrine of salvation is a complex one for it affects every aspect of human experience. Salvation involves the beginning of the Christian life and so for a person, subjectively it deals with changes or in a change in that person’s inward nature, Hence, the spiritual condition of a person is affected.
When a person says they are saved they therefore are viewing the change in them from the human perspective.
But when we examine the idea of that person’s regeneration this clearly can only be viewed from God’s perspective for that idea involves their union with Christ, See these Texts:
2 Corinthians5:17 “Therefore if any one is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things are passed away, behold all things are become new”.
Ephesians 1:3-5 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will”.
Justification deals with the corruption and pollution of the moral character of man that had been polluted by sin coming fron the Fall. Regeneration reversed the direction and general tendencies of human nature for it stated God actively pronounced man forgiven and is now able to start living up to the requirements of the relationship with God’s person and nature which are the measure and standard of righteousness.
We are released from liability to punishment and restored to a position of favour with God.
Adoption is now a transfer from a status of alienation and hostility to one of acceptance and favour and this means adoption.
John 1:12 states “But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God”
Ephesians 1:5, “He destined us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of his will”
Galatians 4:4-5, “But when the time had fully come God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons”.
These aspects of the position when one begins the Christian life refer to the relationship between the individual and God.
The Christian life clearly is quite different from the life that was previously lived. A new life has begun and this can be contrasted to being dead to sin and trespasses. There is therefore the first step of turning from one’s sins in repentance and turning to Christ in faith. Ezekiel 18:30-32 could then state:
“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, says the LORD GOD.
Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed against me and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel?
For I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the LORD GOD; so turn and live”.
The Apostle Peter repeats in Acts 3:19 that there has to be a direction of change of life.
“Repent therefore and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out”.
REPENTANCE
Repentance therefore is the abandoning or repudiating of sin. It is based on godly “to rue” or “to repent”
True repentance is godly sorrow when one has committed sin together with a resolution or determination to turn from it. Says one writer:
“Real repentance is sorrow for one’s sin because of the wrong done to God and the hurt inflicted on him. This sorrow is accompanied by a genuine desire to abandon that sin. In the case of true repentance, there is regret over the sin even if the sinner has not suffered an unfortunate personal effects because of it
This is not regret over wrongdoings based on different kinds of motivation, such as little more than selfishness, or the fear of consequences that are unpleasant over what had been done. That is mere penitence”.
It is most important that we examine the Hebrew and the New Testament terms used for repentance so that we can properly understand what the word means. One writer explains in some detail:
“There are two Hebrew terms that express the idea of repentance. One is nacham…a word signifying, “to pant, sigh or groan”. It came to mean “to lament or to grieve”. When used in reference to an emotion aroused by consideration of the situation of others, it connotes compassion and sympathy. When used in reference to an emotion aroused by consideration of one’s own character and deeds, it means to “rue” or “to repent”.
Interestingly, when the word occurs in the sense of “repent”, the subject of the verb is usually “God” rather than “man”. A prime example is Genesis 6:6, “And the Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart”.
Another example is in Exodus 32:14.
Job 42:5-6 uses the word with a human as its subject. This is a rare use.
The type of genuine repentance that humans are to display is more commonly designated by the word shuv. It is used extensively in prophets’ calls to Israel to return to the Lord. It stresses the importance of a conscious moral separation, the necessity of forsaking sin and entering into fellowship with God. See 2 Chronicles 7:14 as an example of this. Also Isaiah 59:20….
In the New Testament there are also two major terms for repentance. The word there means “to have a feeling of care consent or regret”. Like nacham it stresses the emotional aspect of repentance, a feeling of regret or remorse for having done wrong.
Jesus used the word in the Parable of the two sons Matthew 21:29. When the first son was asked by is father to go and work in the vineyard “he answered, I will not”” but afterward he repented and went”, The second son said he would go and did not.
Jesus likened the chief priests and Pharisees (whom he was addressing) to the second son and repentant sinners to the first son. …..See verse 32.
The word is also used of Judas’ remorse over his betrayal of Jesus. Matthew 27:3 and then went and hanged himself. It appears that this word can designate simply regret and remorse over one’s actions, as in the case of Judas. Or it can represent true repentance which involves an alteration of behavior, as in the case of the first son.
The other major New Testament word for repentance is different from the first word. It means literally to “think differently about something or to have a change of mind” The word was characteristic of John the Baptist’s preaching, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2)…At Pentecost Peter urged the multitude, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sns, and you shall receive the gift of the holy Spirit”.
As we examine this matter of repentance, we cannot avoid being impressed with its importance as a prerequisite for salvation. The large number of verses and the variety of contexts in which repentance is stressed make clear that it is not optional but indispensable. That people in many different cultural settings were urged to repent shows it is not a message meant only for a few specific local situations. Rather, repentance is an essential part of the Christian Gospel”.
THE CONTINUANCE OF SALVATION
After salvation God has to work in the life of the believer to transform him or her into the likeness of the Lord.
This process is called sanctification and it follows regeneration.
The moral nature is changed by the Holy Spirit who apply the work done by the lord Jesus on the cross to the life of the believer.
This involves the basic concept of holiness, of being separate, dedicated to the particular purpose or use. The Hebrew word for “holy” literally means “separate” meaning to ‘cut off’ or ‘to separate’.
So Peter knowing the consecration of the firstborn in Exodus 13:2 reminds the believers they are “a chosen race, a roya priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people”. 1 Peter 2:9.
Sanctification begins immediately and so believers are called “saints’ even when they are far from perfect. See 1 Corinthians 1:2
“To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours”.
Jesus emphasizes we are children of God and belong to God and thus
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shalllove your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven”. Matthew 5:43-45.
Note that one writer tells us that sanctification is a process requiring a lifetime to be completed. One can be more or less sanctified therefore, for it is an actual transformation of the character and condition of the person.
This is a supernatural work done by God for we cannot do it ourselves. This is not simply reforming. So Paul states:
“May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”. 1 Thessalonians 5:23.
See also God’s wor in sanctifying us in Hebrews 13:20-21; Ephesians 5:2; Titus 2:14.
Philippians 1:6 teaches this is a progressive work designed to produce the likeness of Christ. It is done by the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18 and Romans 8:29.
In this process done by the Spirit Galatians 5 teaches qualities called “the fruit of the Spirit” and we should walk in them. Romans 8 gives the same instruction.
Note that in Philippians 2:12-13 believers are exhorted to work and grow in matters relating to salvation: there is to be no laziness or a casual approach to knowing about God and His commands.
“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling for God is at work in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure”.
So if there is salvation there will be work and the practice of virtues and avoidance of evil. The works of the body are to be put to death and our bodies are to be presented to God as a living sacrifice. See romans12:9,16-17; 12:1-2; Romans 8:13.
So believers have to play a role of importance to remove sinfulness and to developing holiness. No slackness is expected or tolerated.
1 John 3:4-6 warns against lawlessness.
But the Apostle John knows you will occasionally sin. You are called a liar if you say you have no sin. Remember there are sins of commission and sins of omission. You are advised to confess your sins and so have the blood of Jesus continually keep on cleansing you. So one writer comments:
“There are important practical implications to our view that though sinlessness is not experienced in this life, it must be our aim.
On the one hand, this position means that there need not be great feelings of discouragement, defeat, or even despair and guilt when we do sin.
But on the other hand, it also means that we will not be overly pleased with ourselves nor indifferent to the presence of sin.
For we will faithfully and diligently ask God to overcome completely the tendency toward evil which like Paul, we find so prevalent within us”.
Let us now continue to look at the Christian life. Note the variety of views. But be careful for the human mind has limitations which is apparent when they try to explain god and how He works.
THE COMPLETION OF SALVATION
All Christians know two experiences lay ahead of them and they are physical death and the end of life on earth, and the other experience is the eternity beyond this life and this world.
We call that the hereafter, and the Christian is assured that they will survive the earthly life and then have a blessed life throughout eternity.
The major question then became whether Christians kept by the grace of God will endure the trials, tribulations and temptations.in the world and remain true to God until they die. Some will call this “perseverance”. In other words, will a person who became a Christian and been united with Christ in that “new relationship’ always remain in it, and if so on what basis.
Obviously this matter is of great importance and relevance for practical Christian living, for if there is no guarantee that salvation is permanent , the believer will be anxious and insecure and will always be living with difficulty in maintaining the Christian life standard.
If salvation is permanently and absolutely secure and they will be safe no matter how they live, they might become indifferent to Christian morality and way of living according to the moral and spiritual demands of the gospel.
Obviously then this matter of the security of the believer had been of greatest importance. Several positions have been adopted and we will have to look at these.
With respect to the matter of salvation of believers Calvinism and Arminianism have developed as two systems of theology attempting to explain the relationship between god’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. Calvinism sprung from the French theologian John Calvin who lived in 1509-1564. He based much of his views on that of Augustine, a prominent thinker in early fourth century Catholicism. Note many variations in his teachings have spread, developed, and changed somewhat. We can thus examine the Calvinist view and its origin and their present approach to this matter of security.
Arminian theology comes from the teachings of Jacobus Arminius a Dutch theologian who live 1560-1609 attracted by the teachings of Pelagius who had a radical interpretation of man’s free will and his ability.
Calvin taught that every aspect of humanity is corrupted by sin and so man was totally depraved and so rebellious God had to sovereignly work in grace and change their hearts so that they will believe. Man cannot come to God of their own accord.
Arminianism teaches that men are depraved and corrupt but “they are able to provide the decisive impulse to trust God with the divine assistance God has given to everyone”. So Arminians hold to partial depravity of man.
But note classical Arminianism reject “partial depravity” and are close to Calvin’s “total depravity”. Note the Arminian approaches are a reaction to some of Calvin’s teachings just as Pelagius opposed Augustine (Pelagius was declared a heretic at the council of Ephesus in431) in their argument between man’s free will and the sovereignty of God taught by Augustine.
Also, Calvinism believe we are chosen unconditionally and God mercifully gives us faith.
Arminians generally with some variation say God has chosen us or elected to bring all whom he foresaw would believe by bringing about their own faith. God provides the impetus to them to salvation. He does not produce the faith he foresaw. There is a conditional election idea which states God elects individuals to salvation based on his foreknowledge.
Calvinism teaches in the death of Christ God provided sufficient atonement for all, but god designed it so that atonemtn is effective only for the elect. Atonement is thus limited and effectual only for those chosen
One writer however in stating the Arminian position says “Arminians teach on the other hand that in the death of Christ God provided sufficient atonement for all and He designed it so this would become effective by virtue of faith for which we—not Christ—provide the decisive impetus. So faith is not purchased by the cross, but that is the human means of obtaining what the cross purchased—namely, forgiveness of sins”.
On the issue of the New Birth one scholar states that Calvinists say this is “God renewing the heart to bring about the act of willing, hearty, saving faith”.
‘Arminians would say the new birth is God’s work of renewal in our hearts in response to our act of saving faith”.
On the issue of perseverance Calvinists argue God works in his infallible, unlimited unrestrained power ‘”to preserve us in faith—all who are truly born again—and that no one is ever lost who are truly born of God”.
On the other hand, Arminians “say God works to preserve his people, but he does not always prevent some who were born again from falling away to destruction”.
Calvinists therefore summarize their position under the acronym T.U.L.I.P. meaning Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistable Grace, and Perseverance.
Arminianns as one writer describes their view hold to the acronym “F.A.C.T.S. meaning “Freed by Christ’s Atonement for All, Conditional election, Total Depravity, and Security in Christ”.
Remember this is a debate over the Sovereignty of God in Salvation versus the free will and freedom of man in Salvation.
The emphasis in these Doctrines, which we call Soteriology, has varied over they years.
There are some similarities and some differences between the two but there are more different than they are alike, says one commentator.
Some believe the differences cannot be reconciled and these differences generate two completely different gospels.
But some believe that even though the differences are critical that sould not diminish Christian fellowship.
Every believer has to make that assessment.
We will further examine the Arminian view which is quite different from the Calvinist view.
Note that both views are to be found in nearly all denominations. In most cases those in these denominations are scarcely aware of what they truly believe and why they believe in the views they hold.
The other term to be examined is the perfecting in the quality of life that will be experienced beyond the time of death when limitations we know will be removed. This is called “glorification”.
Make sure you note we are dealing with the doctrine of eternal life.
Both basic positions believe God will keep the promises He has made to believers. God is faithful and powerful.
They agree salvation is not achieved by your works or human effort.
There is general agreement that the Holy Spirit is at work in all believers. But there is some disagreement on the extent of the presence of the Spirit in believers.
All sides believe that God provides complete salvation and the believer can know they currently possess salvation.
The Westminster Confession of Faith sums up the Calvinist position as folllos:
“They whom God hath accepted in His Beloved, effectually called and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace; but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved”.
This means God has looked down on the total amount of human beings and has elected certain individuals, decreeing that those elected receive eternal life. There is therefore a permanence to their salvation. One writer Loraine Boettner comments on this:
“This doctrine (Permanence) does not stand alone but is a necessary part of the Calvinistic system of theology. The doctrines of Election and Efficacious Grace logically imply the certain salvation of those who receive these blessings.
If God has chosen men absolutely and unconditionally to eternal life, and if His spirit effectively applies to them the benefits of redemption, the inescapable conclusion is that these persons shall be saved”.
Calvinists present to us proof texts to support their position of the indestructible quality of the salvation which God provides. They provide several. The salvation cannot be destroyed. Several texts emphasize that the divine love is persistent and so there is undeniable perseverance. Some texts are listed:
1 Peter 1:3-5
Romans 8:31-39
Phillipiand 1:6
Hebrews7:25
John 11:42
1 Corinthians 10:13
John 10:27-30
2 Timothy 1:12
1 John 3:9
John 10:27-30
John 15:1-11
Hebrews 6:11, 10:22
2Peter 1:101
John 5:13
This position is a controversial one and was not commonly found before the Luther and Calvin era. It stand in opposition to Roman Catholic doctrine which held you have to be a member of that Church to be saved and since they control the means of grace that they can dispense their members are secure.
THE ARMINIAN VIEW
Their view on this issue of perseverance, their belief system, is detailed in the Sententia Remonstrantium completed by the Synod of Dort updated and made more emphatic in later times. One scholar lists the core of the Arminian belief structure which opposed that of the Calvinists.n
The Remonstrants, the followers of Arminius believe that man was depraved but not totally,
-that God elects on the basis of foreseen faith,
-that Christ died with the intent of saving all men,
-that divine grace may be effectually resisted, and
-that the perseverance of the saved was not clearly taught.
Their emphasis is on warning against apostasy. They as a result start with Jesus’ warnings to His disciples in Matthew 24:3-14 on the possibility of being led astray thus indicating the warning was necessary since it was possible for them to fall away and lose their salvation. Jesus said then:
“Take heed that no one deceive you. For many will come in My name saying, “I am the Christ”, and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumours of war. See that you are not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
For nations will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.
Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.
And because lawlessness will abound the love of many will grow cold.
But he who endures to the end shall be saved,
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations and then the end will come”.
Arminians use the warning of the Apostle Paul in Colossians 1:21-23,
“And you who once were estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him, provided that you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel which you heard”.
And in 1 Corinthians 10:12:
“Let any one who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall”.
Note also Hebrews 2:1
Hebrews 3:12-14
And a commonly used Hebrews 6:4-6
Hebrews 6:11-12
Hebrews 10:26-27
1 Timothy 1:19020 the case of Hymenaeus and Alexander
2 Timothy 2:16-28 the case of Hymenaeus and Philetus
2 Timothy 4:10 the case of Demas
2 Peter 2:1-2 the case of false teachers and their followers.
Note the Arminians use the case of specific people who one time appeared to be regenerate and then afterwards abandoned the Christian faith. They add the case of King Saul who was rejected by God after being chosen and anointed and Judas who Jesus chose as a disciple to bolster their position.
We start by reminding you this is a complex issue and because of that one writer notes three interpretations have arisen.
- The writer has in mind genuinely saved persons who los their salvation. It should be note that once they have lost their salvation there is no way they can regain it. The one item that is unequivocal in the passage is that it is impossible to renew them to salvation (Hebrews 6:4a) a point which many Arminians ignore.
- The persons in view were never regenerate. They merely tasted of the truth and the life, were exposed to the word of God: they did not fully experience these heavenly gifts. They do in fact apostasize, but from the vicinity of spiritual truth, not from its centre.
- The people in view are genuinely and permanently saved; they are not lost. Their alvation is real, the apostasy hypothetical. That is, the “if” clause does not realy occur. The writer is merely describing what would be the case if the elect were to fall away (an impossibility).
The passage in Hebrews seems to argue that some (those who have become partakers of the Holy Spirit) are for a time regenerate and this seems to affects the validity of the third view.
Our problem exists because of the “if” and the adverbial participle used so that the statement can be rendered in different ways. In the Hebrew 6 passage “If they fall away” could be rendered in other ways as “when they fall away. So one writer notes therefore:
“The meaning in cases like this must be determined on the basis of the context. The key element in the present context is found in verse 9: “Though we speak thus, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things that belong to salvation”
This verse might be understood as implying that the people described in verses 4-6, unlike the people to whom Hebrews is addressed, were not really saved. We have seen however, that there is a major difficulty with this interpretation. The other possibility is that the referents I verses 4-6 and verse 9 are the same. They are genuinely saved people who could fall away. Verses 4-6 declare what their status would be if they did.\verse 9 however, is a statement that they will not fall awy. They could, but they will not! Their persistence to the end is evidence of that truth.
We are now able to correlate John 10 and Hebrews 6.While Hebrews 6 indicates that genuine believers can fall away, John 10 teaches that they will not.
There is a logical possibility of apostasy, but it will not come to pass in the case of the believer. Although they could abandon their faith and the Hebrews 6 begins to apply, the grace of God will make it certain that once they are in His family they will not apostasize. One writer who belives in the freedom of the individual opines,””Believers are capable of repudiating their faith, but will freely choose not to…The warnings and commands given to the believer..are the means by which God” renders it certain that the saved individual will not fall away.
Consider as an analogy the case of parents who fear that their young child may run out into the street and be struck by a car. One way the parents can prevent that from happening is to build a fence around the yard. That would prevent the child from leaving the yard, but would also remove the child’s freedom. Try as he or she might, the child could not possibly get out of the yard. That is the idea some persons have of what perseverance is.
Another possibility is for the parents to teach and train the child regarding the danger of going into the street and the importance of being careful. This is the nature of the security which we are discussing. It is not that God renders apostasy impossible by removing the very option. Rather, he uses every possible means of grace, including the warnings contained in Scripture, to motivate us to remain committed to him. Because he enables us to persevere in our faith, the term perseverance is preferable to preservation”.
A close examination of the word used by Paul in 1 Timothy 19-20 about persons “swerving” away or “wandering” and the cases in 2 Timothy 2:17-18 might suggest they were not true believers. The case of King Saul and Judas does not indicate they were regenerate.
In any case we must be careful to distinguish between temporary backsliding of some and the case of Peter’s denial of the Lord and his weakening.
Note the Bible does not give u the right to identify those who make a outward profession of of faith as genuinely regenerate. Jesus even warned in Matthew 7:15 of false teachers and false prophets that come disguised in sheep’s clothing but who are ravenous wolves.
We know that by their fruits we shall know them though they claim to be regenerate. But we also know that many on the Day of judgment who say, “Lord, Lord” and claim to have done mighty works which Jesus did not deny those works were actually done, should pull us out of our certainty make us understand what appears to be genuine faith might turn out to be something very different for we cannot be completely sure about what is happening around us.
The Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:1-9 indicates what might appear to be genuine faith may be superficial and might turn out to be very different fromwhat we expected.
Jesus said that in Matthew 7:16-18 that the only regenerate believers are those who bear fruit of varying amounts. See also Matthew 13:23.
Jesus taught “endurance” is the distinguishing mark of the true believer. See Matthew 10:22; 24:12-13; Mar 13:13.
PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS OF OUR STUDY
Let us keep in mind our task is to encourage others who claim to be in the faith to ensure they turn from their ways and turn to the ways of God.
One writer sums us excellent practical advice for living a fruitful and rewarding life in /Christ. He states:
“The practical implication of our understanding of the doctrine of perseverance is that believers can rest secure in the assurance that their salvation is permanent: nothing can separate the from the love of God. Thus they can rejoice in the prospect of eternal life.
There needs be no anxiety that something or someone will keep them from attaining the final blessedness which they have been promised and have come to expect.
On the other hand, however, our understanding of the doctrine of perseverance allows no room for indolence or laxity.
It is questionable whether anyone who reasons, “Now that I am a Christian I can live as I please” has really been converted and regenerated.
Genuine faith issues instead in the fruit of the Spirit. Assurance of salvation, the subjective conviction that one is a Christian, results from the holy Spirit giving evidence that he is at work in the life of the individual.
And whenever the Spirit’s work results in conviction that one’s commitment to Christ is genuine, there is also the certainty on biblical grounds that god will enable the Christian to persist in that relationship, that nothing can separate the true believer from God’s love”.