Unconditional Salvation
I am not a Calvinist but I readily acknowledge that many sincere Christians are. However I must disagree with them regarding their belief of “once saved always saved” or “Eternal Security”. It could also be referred to as “Unconditional Salvation”.
Two of the main scriptures they use to support this view are as follows:
John 10:28
And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
Rom.8:38,39
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Well I am in full agreement with these verses, but we need to take into account that the Scriptures, (such as Gen.2:17 / Deut.30:11-20. / & Josh.24:15. clearly teach that we all have a free will.
Though no force outside of us can remove us from God’s hand we can remove ourselves, jump from His hand any time we want and some do. If it were not so we would not have a free will. -- I will endeavour to keep this as condensed as possible.
The fact is that Salvation is not “Unconditional”. There are conditions attached.
Hebrews 6: 4-6 reads;
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.
Hebrews was written from Rome to the Jewish Christians back in Israel some of which had deliberately chosen to return to Temple worship and ritual rather than face persecution. They saw their old way of life as safer and more secure. It was their choice to deliberately jump from the hand of God. This was a deliberate act, not some slip into petty sin.
1John 5:16 reads;
If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that.
The writer says in verse 9 that he has confidence in those still there which were receiving his letter.
There are two types of sin, 1. Petty sins which we all fall into from time to time and 2. Serious deliberate sin where we while knowing the truth deliberately choose to reject God, preferring what the world offers.
John 15:1-11 shows that we are required to “abide in Jesus” and “keep His commandments” (written on the heart, not stone). If we don’t He says He will cast us off.
Rom. 11: 17-24 reads;
17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree,
18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.
19 You will say then, "Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in."
20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear.
21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.
22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.
23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
Notice verses 19-20 Shows that Jews who lacked faith were broken off & Christians with faith were grafted in. -- Verses 21-22 warns us that if we fail to CONTINUE in His goodness we also can be broken off again. God’s Love and mercy is shown in verse 23, He is saying, if we return to Him in genuine repentance and faith He will take us back. Of course there will always be some who are too proud to repent and some who’s deliberate act of rejection while knowing the truth will make it impossible for them to repent.
To sum up; We have the free will to leave God or to walk with Him. -- Salvation is conditional on us obeying the Laws of God which He writes on our hearts at conversion and involves maintaining fellowship with Him and serving Him.
When we are converted Jesus adopts us into His family, but as here on earth many whom are adopted into another family run away, so we also can reject the Heavenly family which has adopted us. Much more could be said but this will have to do for now.
I am not a Calvinist but I readily acknowledge that many sincere Christians are. However I must disagree with them regarding their belief of “once saved always saved” or “Eternal Security”. It could also be referred to as “Unconditional Salvation”.
Two of the main scriptures they use to support this view are as follows:
John 10:28
And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
Rom.8:38,39
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Well I am in full agreement with these verses, but we need to take into account that the Scriptures, (such as Gen.2:17 / Deut.30:11-20. / & Josh.24:15. clearly teach that we all have a free will.
Though no force outside of us can remove us from God’s hand we can remove ourselves, jump from His hand any time we want and some do. If it were not so we would not have a free will. -- I will endeavour to keep this as condensed as possible.
The fact is that Salvation is not “Unconditional”. There are conditions attached.
Hebrews 6: 4-6 reads;
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.
Hebrews was written from Rome to the Jewish Christians back in Israel some of which had deliberately chosen to return to Temple worship and ritual rather than face persecution. They saw their old way of life as safer and more secure. It was their choice to deliberately jump from the hand of God. This was a deliberate act, not some slip into petty sin.
1John 5:16 reads;
If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that.
The writer says in verse 9 that he has confidence in those still there which were receiving his letter.
There are two types of sin, 1. Petty sins which we all fall into from time to time and 2. Serious deliberate sin where we while knowing the truth deliberately choose to reject God, preferring what the world offers.
John 15:1-11 shows that we are required to “abide in Jesus” and “keep His commandments” (written on the heart, not stone). If we don’t He says He will cast us off.
Rom. 11: 17-24 reads;
17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree,
18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.
19 You will say then, "Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in."
20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear.
21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.
22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.
23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
Notice verses 19-20 Shows that Jews who lacked faith were broken off & Christians with faith were grafted in. -- Verses 21-22 warns us that if we fail to CONTINUE in His goodness we also can be broken off again. God’s Love and mercy is shown in verse 23, He is saying, if we return to Him in genuine repentance and faith He will take us back. Of course there will always be some who are too proud to repent and some who’s deliberate act of rejection while knowing the truth will make it impossible for them to repent.
To sum up; We have the free will to leave God or to walk with Him. -- Salvation is conditional on us obeying the Laws of God which He writes on our hearts at conversion and involves maintaining fellowship with Him and serving Him.
When we are converted Jesus adopts us into His family, but as here on earth many whom are adopted into another family run away, so we also can reject the Heavenly family which has adopted us. Much more could be said but this will have to do for now.
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