On Eternal Security - Part 6
A New Heart
If you have been reading, you’ll see that refuting Eternal Security isn’t as easy as coming up with a few warning passages. I’m confident that it can’t be refuted, but if you believe otherwise, you would have to do more than just quoting warning passages such as 1 Timothy 4:1. And rest assured, we’ll address 1 Timothy 4:1 and other objections people raise against Eternal Security later in this series.
When it comes to Eternal Security, there are many nuances to consider. In most debates on this topic, you often hear about personal responsibilities and warning passages. What you don’t hear is a discussion on the true nature of apostates or even that of believers. The doctrines of the New Birth and Perseverance of the Saints are inseparable. To deny one is to deny the other. Those who have been born of God will persevere, while those who aren’t of God will not. Since the two are linked, those who reject Eternal Security don’t want to focus on the true nature of the apostates. They would rather throw you a list of warning passages, instead of looking at the heart. However, warnings say absolutely nothing about true believers losing their salvation.
When a person is born again, their heart is changed. People object to Eternal Security and think that this doctrine gives people the license to sin. How wrong they are! Such objections only demonstrate their ignorance of what takes place when a person is born again.
A New Heart
“I didn’t invite Jesus into my heart; he gave me a new heart.” —Scotty Smith
Consider this simple illustration:
There was a man who owned a bird. It was one of those birds that would fly away and never return. There was one thing about this bird that intrigued people: No matter where it went or how far, it would always come back to its master at evening. The people once asked him, “What is your secret? How did you train this little bird of yours?” To which he replied, “I fed it with water mixed with a bit of rum when it was young, and now it’s free to fly wherever it wants.” This bird had tasted the mixture and could not find it anywhere else, so it would always come back to its owner.
As Believers we have tasted the Bread of life and the Living Water. No matter where we go in this world, and no matter how we’re tempted, we know our God is good and faithful, and so to Him we look, to Him we return each evening. Peter said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Where else can a child of God go? Is there another out there who has the words of eternal life? This Saving-Faith, trust and knowing the Son is from above,
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God” (1 John 5:1 ESV, cf. 4-5). See Examining 1 John 5:1
“Blessed are you, Simon… For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 16:17).
If you’re a believer, God has given you a new heart. A heart that knows He alone has the words of eternal life. A heart that knows He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. This is why Paul had confidence in those that are In Christ (cf. Philippians 1:6).
“I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind;” (Galatians 5:7-10)
“the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you” (2 Thessalonians 3:3-5)
Peter feared for his life and denied Christ three times, verbally. Yet Christ was never denied in his heart, for “he went outside and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:62). It’s not possible to deny in your heart what you have come to know to be true. The story didn’t end there: Christ came back for Peter and reassured him, saying, “He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples—AND PETER…” (Mark 16:6-7). Peter is a picture of true believers. Judas, on the other hand, is a picture of apostates and false believers. Both Peter and Judas walked with Christ. One was truly saved, the other truly lost. Christ came for Peter, but He let Judas hang himself. This is the heart of the matter.
If you believe that Eternal Security, when properly understood, gives people the license to sin, then you don’t know the Gospel, how sinful you are and how much you have been forgiven.
“A man who is really saved by grace does not need to be told that he is under solemn obligations to serve Christ. The new life within him tells him that.” —Spurgeon
To be continued…