Heb 6:11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
Heb 6:12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Heb 6:13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,
Heb 6:14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.
Heb 6:15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
2Pe 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2Pe 1:6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Pe 1:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2Pe 1:8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2Pe 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
2Pe 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
2Pe 1:11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
The Bible clearly teaches that one can be purged of their old sins and yet be barren and unfruitful. Jesus taught this...
Joh 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
Joh 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Joh 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Joh 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Joh 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Joh 15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
Joh 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Joh 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
Joh 15:9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
Joh 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
Joh 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
Joh 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Joh 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Joh 15:14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
Joh 15:15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
Joh 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
The word abide means to continue, endure, tarry, remain.
Reformed Theology will teach "Perseverance of the Saints" which means that a genuine saint will persevere to the end (due to the notions of Irresistible Grace and Unconditional Election) and thus deny the possibility of a genuine Christian falling away.
Yet if a genuine Christian cannot fall away why does Jesus contend for people to "remain, continue, endure, tarry" in Him? To use such language would be redundant because under the Perseverance doctrine the "true saints" would abide and those who were "fake" would not.
When Paul wrote the Ephesians he warned them to follow God and thus not be involved in the sins of the flesh. Moreover he warned them not to be deceived by vain words for the wrath of God comes upon those who disobey.
Eph 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
Eph 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
Eph 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
Eph 5:4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
Eph 5:5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Eph 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
Eph 5:7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
If Perseverance of the Saints is true and a true saint cannot fall away then why does Paul speak in such a manner?
Shortly thereafter in the same letter Paul wrote...
Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Paul clearly teaches that putting on the whole armour of God is absolutely necessary in regards to "standing."
He then went on to state...
Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
When such passages are taken alongside...
1Co 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.
1Co 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
1Co 9:26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
1Co 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
...the picture painted by Paul is clearly that of entering into s certain state and then being diligent that one remain there. There is no indication given by Paul of the notion of unconditional eternal security.
Paul taught that we are to strive for the incorruptible crown like an athlete strives for victory in a race. Moreover Paul stated that he keeps his own body under subjection lest he himself be a castaway.
Does that sound anything like Reformed Theology and the doctrine of Perseverance of the Saints?
Did Paul go around preaching to "trust in Jesus" and that "true saints cannot fall away"? In other words did Paul preach "PASSIVITY combined with TRUST IN DOCTRINAL STANCES whereby God would do it all for you?" or do he preach "ENDURING ACTIVITY which was associated to WALKING IN TRUTH"????
Paul warned those who professed Christ to depart from iniquity and serve righteousness. Basically the WALK must match the TALK.
2Ti 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
2Ti 2:20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
2Ti 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
2Ti 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
'If a man therefore purge himself from these" is a conditional statement. It is something that Paul was contending believers do. If they will depart from iniquity and serve righteousness THEN shall they be a vessel unto honour, sanctified and for God's use. Paul gives no allusion that such a thing is "automatic" in a genuine Christian, Reformed Theology on the other hand doesn't teach "IF" but rather "WHEN" because according to them "what man does" has NOTHING to do with it.
The WHEN of Reformed Theology is AUTOMATIC because they believe in Irresistible Grace and Unconditional Election and thus the CHOICES OF MEN have nothing to do with salvation. Hence when they preach the Gospel the focus is on the "sovereignty of God" to the exclusion of any CONDITIONS having to be met on the part of men.
In a nutshell they preach a salvation WITHOUT conditions hence their need to refute the notion that a believer can fall away. If a believer can fall away their doctrines force a conclusion of "God being weak" and therefore "not truly sovereign."
If the Reformed Position is true then why does Peter contend that believers "add diligently to their faith" that they may "gain abundant entrance into the kingdom" whilst contending that "those who do not add diligently to their faith will remain unfruitful and thus forget they were purged of their previous sins"?
