I. Do works have anything to do with how we are saved?
Titus 3:5-7 (NKJV)
5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
This passage is both unequivocal and explicit regarding how our salvation is God's doing, not ours, how it is achieved totally apart from works of righteousness we may or may not do. It is God's grace by which we are justified before Him; we are regenerated spiritually and renewed by the Holy Spirit. Our role is simply to receive the saving work of God.
Ephesians 2:8-10 (NKJV)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Again, here, our works are explicitly excluded as necessary to our salvation. Our salvation is a monergistic work of God such that we have nothing whatever of which to boast in the matter of our redemption and adoption into God's family. God is determined that we should have no ground upon which to claim any part of the saving work He does for us. We are too prone to pride, to arrogant piety, to the religious vanity of the Pharisee, to be allowed any active role in our own salvation.
Philippians 3:8-9 (NKJV)
8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
Paul's righteousness was imputed to him by God from Christ. It is the perfect, unchanging righteousness of the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” not Paul's corrupt, inconsistent adherence to the rules (the law) in which Paul (and every genuine believer) stands before God accepted by Him.
Romans 3:20-26 (NKJV)
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,
26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Obedience to God's law does not (cannot) procure our justification. All the law does is demonstrate how incapable we are of keeping it; it exposes our deep moral deficiency. God's way of justifying us, then, is separate from our fulfillment of His law. We are justified only by faith in Christ as Saviour and Lord. Our works, our obedience to God's laws, are irrelevant to our salvation.
Romans 4:4-5 (NKJV)
4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.
5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,
Here also Paul explains that it is by the exercise of our faith in the finished and perfect atoning work of Christ on the cross that we are justified before God and accepted by Him.
In light of these passages, there is no biblical grounds upon which to assert that salvation is anything but a gracious gift we receive, by faith, totally apart from our works (good or bad), from God in and through our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
II. Are good works necessary in order to remain saved? Having been saved by God, do we then shoulder the responsibility of sustaining our salvation? Is it God plus our works after the fact that saves us?
Ephesians 1:5-8 (NKJV)
5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
8 which He made to abound toward us...
As Paul explains here, we are “accepted in the Beloved,” who is Christ, in and by whom we obtain our redemption and forgiveness, our salvation. Being sinful creatures, we cannot be accepted by God apart from Christ. We must be clothed in him, in his righteous perfection, in order to be accepted by a perfectly righteous God. This does not change once we are saved; our acceptance by God never ceases to be totally contingent upon Christ's perfection. What, then, of our good works? They are excluded (Ro. 3:27) as Paul wrote, “by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in God's sight.”
Ephesians 1:13-14 (NKJV)
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
What is the guarantee of our spiritual inheritance in Christ (Ro. 8:14-17)? Not our works, the apostle Paul writes to the Ephesians, but the Holy Spirit by whom all believers are “sealed” and made a “purchased possession” of God.
Philippians 1:6 (NKJV)
6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
Who assumes the responsibility for the completion of the “good work” (ie. our salvation) God began in us? God Himself. It is He who completes in us the good work He began, not us. Just as we received salvation we must also receive the transforming, and purifying, and strengthening work of God's Spirit in us as we move toward the “Day of Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 2:13 (NKJV)
13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
We see, again, in this verse that it is God who takes the initiative toward us, not only in saving us, but in transforming our desires and enabling us to do His will. We only work out (Phil. 2:12) what God has first worked into us. From beginning to end, our relationship with God is His doing, His responsibility, His work, not ours. Inasmuch as this is so, we cannot take upon ourselves the sustainment of our salvation. Our role is to receive and respond, not achieve and preserve.
Jude 1:24-25 (NKJV)
24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
25 To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.
God is the One who justifies and sanctifies us by the Holy Spirit, and because He has we stand faultless before Him, able to approach His throne of grace with boldness (He. 4:16) and joy, confident in our acceptance by Him. This is all God's work for us, not our work for Him.
Galatians 3:24-27 (NKJV)
24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Paul explains here that the law is merely a “tutor” that teaches us how utterly bankrupt we are morally, how incapable we are of perfectly fulfilling the will of God. The law does not impart to us the wherewithal to obey it; ultimately, it only brings us into condemnation. The man who has trusted in Christ as his Saviour, however, is freed from the condemning “tutelage” of the law (Ro. 8:1) and made a son of God and joint-heir with Christ (Ro. 8:17). Our freedom from the law is not accomplished, then, by our keeping the law, but by trusting in Christ's perfect fulfillment of the law and sacrifice of himself for our redemption and adoption by our holy Maker.
Romans 8:12-16 (NKJV)
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors--not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."
16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
It is by the power of the Spirit of God that we “put to death the deeds of the body.” All our spiritual success rests upon him and his work in us. We are merely branches in the Vine (Jn. 15:1-5), “vessels sanctified and meet for the Master's use,” (2 Ti. 2:21) that receive the sanctifiying work of the Spirit. We can't, by ourselves, produce the peaceable fruit of righteousness. So, again, our life in Christ is not our responsibility, our work, but the work of God in us by His Spirit.
III. No one can pluck us out of God's hand, but can we pluck ourselves out of His hand?
John 10:27-29 (NKJV)
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.
This passage does not explicitly say we can't take ourselves out of God's hand, but it doesn't say that we can, either. “No one” includes everyone; clever semantical maneuvering cannot evade the all-encompassing character of the apostle John's words. Whether it is me or someone else attempting the dissolution of my salvation, it remains impervious to any and all such attempts. This is because my salvation is a work of God, not a work of Man. (Jn. 6:44)
IV. What about those verses that seem to say we can lose our salvation?
John 15:1-8 (NKJV)
1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
What is the main thrust of this passage? Fruitfulness as a consequence of abiding in Christ.
“Every branch that bears not fruit He takes away...”
“Every branch that bears fruit He prunes it that it may bring forth more fruit.”
“The branch cannot bear fruit of itself...”
“He who abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit...”
“...bear much fruit.”
Why is the unfruitful branch “taken away” and “cast into the fire”? Is the branch being judged and punished? No. Consider the following Scripture concerning the unfruitful vine:
Ezekiel 15:1-5 (NKJV)
1 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
2 "Son of man, how is the wood of the vine better than any other wood, the vine branch which is among the trees of the forest?
3 Is wood taken from it to make any object? Or can men make a peg from it to hang any vessel on?
4 Instead, it is thrown into the fire for fuel; the fire devours both ends of it, and its middle is burned. Is it useful for any work?
5 Indeed, when it was whole, no object could be made from it. How much less will it be useful for any work when the fire has devoured it, and it is burned?
John 15:1-6 is concerned with the means to spiritual fruitfulness, not with teaching a saved-and-lost doctrine. The branches cast into the fire picture the utter spiritual uselessness of unfruitful branches, not of salvation lost. A vine is only useful when it is fruitful. Likewise, a believer who is not abiding in Christ cannot be spiritually fruitful and is, consequently, useless. That is the teaching of this passage.
Hebrews 6:1-8 (NKJV)
1 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
3 And this we will do if God permits.
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,
5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
6 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.
7 For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God;
8 but if it bears thorns and briars, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.
Is the writer of Hebrews describing in this passage genuine disciples of Christ who have apostasized and lost their salvation?
If all that has been noted from Scripture so far is true, then it is, at the very least, highly inconsistent to hold that this passage describes a true believer losing salvation. The passages given earlier that establish that our salvation is God's doing and cannot be undone by anything we do defy the saved-and-lost construction some have tried to impose on the passage from Hebrews 6.
Of whom, then, does the writer of the book of Hebrews speak? How could an unbeliever partake of the Holy Spirit? How could he be enlightened without being saved? How could he taste of the “heavenly gift” and not be born-again? Where would we encounter such a person in Scripture? For an answer, we may look to the teaching of Jesus:
Matthew 13:24-30 (NKJV)
24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;
25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.
26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.
27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?'
28 He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'
29 But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.
30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn." ' "
As any grain farmer will tell you, tares are, especially early in their growth, almost indistinguishable from wheat. The “tares” within the “field” of the Church are likewise often difficult to distinguish from genuinely born-again people. They appear externally to be real disciples of Jesus, attending church, praying, tithing, serving in church ministries, and so on. They share in the work and life of the Church, though inwardly they are as Jesus described:
Matthew 15:7-8
7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
8 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.
Although they have not responded with a saving faith to it, “tares” within the church have nonetheless been enlightened to the truth of the Gospel. They understand the Gospel intellectually but have not embraced it at a heart level (Lu. 8:4-15; Matt. 13:3-23) It is not, then, necessary to think that when the writer of Hebrews wrote of those who were “once enlightened” that he meant genuinely born-again people. The passage does not mandate a particular degree of enlightenment; but the falling away of those who were “enlightened” suggests strongly that the enlightenment they had was of a lesser kind that did not result in spiritual regeneration.
The assumption by the SAL (saved-and-lost) crowd is that “tasted of the heavenly gift” means “salvation.” But is salvation really being described by this phrase? “Taste” is not suggestive of the sort of total regeneration (Eph. 2:1) or fundamental transformation (2 Cor. 5:17) Scripture describes of a truly born-again person. One cannot “taste” of the second, spiritual birth any more than one can “taste” of one's first, physical birth. One is either born, or one is not; there is no intermediate, semi-born state. When the writer of Hebrews described a person who had “tasted of the heavenly gift” it seems very unlikely, then, that he meant someone who had been genuinely born-again.
What is the “heavenly gift”? This is clearly a reference to Jesus (Ro. 6:23) and/or to the Holy Spirit (Ac. 2:38). How could a lost person “taste” of the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit? (Ro. 8:9) A “tare” in the Church could do so in a multitude of ways. Partaking in worship, or in ministries of the Church, or in the holy fellowship of believers are all opportunities for a “tare” in the Church to “taste of the heavenly gift.” It is a second-hand sort of tasting, to be sure, but tasting nonetheless. It is not, then, necessary to think that one who has “tasted of the heavenly gift” must be a truly saved person and so we are not obliged to think that Hebrews 6:1-8 is indicating a genuine believer can lose his (or her) salvation.
The passage in Hebrews 6 also refers to those who were “partakers of the Holy Spirit.” Surely, this must refer to a spiritually-regenerated person! Again, this only seems mandated when one assumes beforehand a saved-and-lost doctrine and reads the passage through such a doctrinal lens. If it is possible for one to partake of the Holy Spirit without being actually born-again, then a saved-and-lost doctrine may be denied in this passage. What is meant, then, by “partake”? Does it mean “spiritually regenerated”? No, it doesn't. “Partaker” in this instance means “partner” or “participant” (metochos in Greek) and does not necessarily carry the idea of spiritual regeneration. Certainly, a “tare” in the Church could partner or participate with the Spirit in ministries within the Church. I have heard of pastors who did just this for decades, thinking they were saved but realizing eventually that they were not. Scripture itself offers to us people who were partners in the work of the Spirit of God but not spiritually-regenerated. Balaam the prophet is an obvious example (2Pe. 2:15; Nu. 22-24); Samson is another (Ju. 14-16); Judas, one of the Twelve, also comes to mind; there are those described by Jesus who prophesy, perform miracles and cast out demons in his name but who are rejected at the Final Judgment (Matt. 7:21-23), too. Each of these in some measure and way were participating in God's purposes, even displaying divine power (prophesying, casting out demons, killing the enemies of Israel, etc.) but at the same time not true saints of God. The passage in Hebrews 6, then, does not require the adoption of a saved-and-lost view. As we can see, there are entirely valid reasons to think the passage was referring to the lost rather than the saved-and-lost.
Some of the SAL persuasion argue that the phrase “fall away” in Hebrews 6:6 establishes that it is a born-again person to whom the passage refers. From what could the person described fall away but from salvation? This, of course, assumes that the passage is speaking of a genuinely saved person which, given what has already been explained, is by no means certain. What, then, is it from which the religious lost person “falls away”? The answer: the sole avenue of salvation available in Christ. If after their close association with, and experience of, the things of the Spirit and the Gospel the “tare” turns (falls away) from them, scorning the atoning sacrifice of Christ, there is almost no likelihood of repentance and genuine spiritual regeneration.
2 Peter 2:19-22
19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.
20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.
21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.
22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire."
This is a favorite passage among SAL folk for promoting the idea that a saved person may lose their salvation. But, again, they are typically imposing a pre-supposed doctrinal view on what is written. Their thinking goes: How does one escape the pollution of the World but by being saved? Of course, the passage does not ever use the word “salvation,” or “regenerated,” or “saved,” or “converted,” or the phrase “born-again,” - terminology common to discussion of salvation in other places in the New Testament - but instead describes only those who have gained a knowledge (Gk. - recognize, acknowledge, “know upon some mark”) of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This is strongly suggestive, not of a truly converted person, but of one who has only an intellectual apprehension of the nature and salvific work of Christ.
What, then, did Peter mean by “escaped the pollutions of the World”? Well, he wrote in chapter 2 specifically of false teachers and it is these false teachers to whom he was referring when he wrote of those who had escaped the pollutions of the World by a knowledge of the Saviour only to be entangled in them again. Nothing in Peter's description of false teachers in chapter 2 of his second letter suggests he thought they were genuinely born-again. Their “escape from the pollutions of the world” was not internal, spiritual and genuine, but external and false. Their associations with the Church would necessarily require some outward separation from the World; they could not rise as teachers within the Church otherwise. They are in this respect like those Paul described as “having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof.” (2 Ti. 3:5) Outwardly they appear to have forsaken the World and its pollutions but inwardly they are in bondage to sin, “having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children.” (2 Pe. 2:14)
It is evident, then, that the proof texts or passages of the SAL (saved and lost) perspective that have been discussed do not serve as solid ground upon which to rest the notion that a genuinely saved person can lose their salvation. This is no surprise given what the Bible clearly and explicitly teaches concerning the basis for a believer's adoption into God's family and the divine source of their justification, sanctification and transformation. Paul described the problem with the saved-and-lost view best when he wrote,
Galatians 3:2-3 (NKJV)
2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?
He answers his own question with a resounding “No!”:
Galatians 5:1,4 (NKJV)
1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage...
4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
Our salvation did not begin on the basis of our good works, our obedience to God's commands, and it does not continue on that basis. Our salvation is entirely God's work, from beginning to end, that He might get all the glory for our redemption and transformation:
1 Corinthians 1:26-31
26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.
27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;
28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,
29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.
30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption--
31 that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord."
Titus 3:5-7 (NKJV)
5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
This passage is both unequivocal and explicit regarding how our salvation is God's doing, not ours, how it is achieved totally apart from works of righteousness we may or may not do. It is God's grace by which we are justified before Him; we are regenerated spiritually and renewed by the Holy Spirit. Our role is simply to receive the saving work of God.
Ephesians 2:8-10 (NKJV)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Again, here, our works are explicitly excluded as necessary to our salvation. Our salvation is a monergistic work of God such that we have nothing whatever of which to boast in the matter of our redemption and adoption into God's family. God is determined that we should have no ground upon which to claim any part of the saving work He does for us. We are too prone to pride, to arrogant piety, to the religious vanity of the Pharisee, to be allowed any active role in our own salvation.
Philippians 3:8-9 (NKJV)
8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
Paul's righteousness was imputed to him by God from Christ. It is the perfect, unchanging righteousness of the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” not Paul's corrupt, inconsistent adherence to the rules (the law) in which Paul (and every genuine believer) stands before God accepted by Him.
Romans 3:20-26 (NKJV)
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,
26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Obedience to God's law does not (cannot) procure our justification. All the law does is demonstrate how incapable we are of keeping it; it exposes our deep moral deficiency. God's way of justifying us, then, is separate from our fulfillment of His law. We are justified only by faith in Christ as Saviour and Lord. Our works, our obedience to God's laws, are irrelevant to our salvation.
Romans 4:4-5 (NKJV)
4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.
5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,
Here also Paul explains that it is by the exercise of our faith in the finished and perfect atoning work of Christ on the cross that we are justified before God and accepted by Him.
In light of these passages, there is no biblical grounds upon which to assert that salvation is anything but a gracious gift we receive, by faith, totally apart from our works (good or bad), from God in and through our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
II. Are good works necessary in order to remain saved? Having been saved by God, do we then shoulder the responsibility of sustaining our salvation? Is it God plus our works after the fact that saves us?
Ephesians 1:5-8 (NKJV)
5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
8 which He made to abound toward us...
As Paul explains here, we are “accepted in the Beloved,” who is Christ, in and by whom we obtain our redemption and forgiveness, our salvation. Being sinful creatures, we cannot be accepted by God apart from Christ. We must be clothed in him, in his righteous perfection, in order to be accepted by a perfectly righteous God. This does not change once we are saved; our acceptance by God never ceases to be totally contingent upon Christ's perfection. What, then, of our good works? They are excluded (Ro. 3:27) as Paul wrote, “by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in God's sight.”
Ephesians 1:13-14 (NKJV)
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
What is the guarantee of our spiritual inheritance in Christ (Ro. 8:14-17)? Not our works, the apostle Paul writes to the Ephesians, but the Holy Spirit by whom all believers are “sealed” and made a “purchased possession” of God.
Philippians 1:6 (NKJV)
6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
Who assumes the responsibility for the completion of the “good work” (ie. our salvation) God began in us? God Himself. It is He who completes in us the good work He began, not us. Just as we received salvation we must also receive the transforming, and purifying, and strengthening work of God's Spirit in us as we move toward the “Day of Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 2:13 (NKJV)
13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
We see, again, in this verse that it is God who takes the initiative toward us, not only in saving us, but in transforming our desires and enabling us to do His will. We only work out (Phil. 2:12) what God has first worked into us. From beginning to end, our relationship with God is His doing, His responsibility, His work, not ours. Inasmuch as this is so, we cannot take upon ourselves the sustainment of our salvation. Our role is to receive and respond, not achieve and preserve.
Jude 1:24-25 (NKJV)
24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
25 To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.
God is the One who justifies and sanctifies us by the Holy Spirit, and because He has we stand faultless before Him, able to approach His throne of grace with boldness (He. 4:16) and joy, confident in our acceptance by Him. This is all God's work for us, not our work for Him.
Galatians 3:24-27 (NKJV)
24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Paul explains here that the law is merely a “tutor” that teaches us how utterly bankrupt we are morally, how incapable we are of perfectly fulfilling the will of God. The law does not impart to us the wherewithal to obey it; ultimately, it only brings us into condemnation. The man who has trusted in Christ as his Saviour, however, is freed from the condemning “tutelage” of the law (Ro. 8:1) and made a son of God and joint-heir with Christ (Ro. 8:17). Our freedom from the law is not accomplished, then, by our keeping the law, but by trusting in Christ's perfect fulfillment of the law and sacrifice of himself for our redemption and adoption by our holy Maker.
Romans 8:12-16 (NKJV)
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors--not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."
16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
It is by the power of the Spirit of God that we “put to death the deeds of the body.” All our spiritual success rests upon him and his work in us. We are merely branches in the Vine (Jn. 15:1-5), “vessels sanctified and meet for the Master's use,” (2 Ti. 2:21) that receive the sanctifiying work of the Spirit. We can't, by ourselves, produce the peaceable fruit of righteousness. So, again, our life in Christ is not our responsibility, our work, but the work of God in us by His Spirit.
III. No one can pluck us out of God's hand, but can we pluck ourselves out of His hand?
John 10:27-29 (NKJV)
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.
This passage does not explicitly say we can't take ourselves out of God's hand, but it doesn't say that we can, either. “No one” includes everyone; clever semantical maneuvering cannot evade the all-encompassing character of the apostle John's words. Whether it is me or someone else attempting the dissolution of my salvation, it remains impervious to any and all such attempts. This is because my salvation is a work of God, not a work of Man. (Jn. 6:44)
IV. What about those verses that seem to say we can lose our salvation?
John 15:1-8 (NKJV)
1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
What is the main thrust of this passage? Fruitfulness as a consequence of abiding in Christ.
“Every branch that bears not fruit He takes away...”
“Every branch that bears fruit He prunes it that it may bring forth more fruit.”
“The branch cannot bear fruit of itself...”
“He who abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit...”
“...bear much fruit.”
Why is the unfruitful branch “taken away” and “cast into the fire”? Is the branch being judged and punished? No. Consider the following Scripture concerning the unfruitful vine:
Ezekiel 15:1-5 (NKJV)
1 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
2 "Son of man, how is the wood of the vine better than any other wood, the vine branch which is among the trees of the forest?
3 Is wood taken from it to make any object? Or can men make a peg from it to hang any vessel on?
4 Instead, it is thrown into the fire for fuel; the fire devours both ends of it, and its middle is burned. Is it useful for any work?
5 Indeed, when it was whole, no object could be made from it. How much less will it be useful for any work when the fire has devoured it, and it is burned?
John 15:1-6 is concerned with the means to spiritual fruitfulness, not with teaching a saved-and-lost doctrine. The branches cast into the fire picture the utter spiritual uselessness of unfruitful branches, not of salvation lost. A vine is only useful when it is fruitful. Likewise, a believer who is not abiding in Christ cannot be spiritually fruitful and is, consequently, useless. That is the teaching of this passage.
Hebrews 6:1-8 (NKJV)
1 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
3 And this we will do if God permits.
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,
5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
6 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.
7 For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God;
8 but if it bears thorns and briars, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.
Is the writer of Hebrews describing in this passage genuine disciples of Christ who have apostasized and lost their salvation?
If all that has been noted from Scripture so far is true, then it is, at the very least, highly inconsistent to hold that this passage describes a true believer losing salvation. The passages given earlier that establish that our salvation is God's doing and cannot be undone by anything we do defy the saved-and-lost construction some have tried to impose on the passage from Hebrews 6.
Of whom, then, does the writer of the book of Hebrews speak? How could an unbeliever partake of the Holy Spirit? How could he be enlightened without being saved? How could he taste of the “heavenly gift” and not be born-again? Where would we encounter such a person in Scripture? For an answer, we may look to the teaching of Jesus:
Matthew 13:24-30 (NKJV)
24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;
25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.
26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.
27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?'
28 He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'
29 But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.
30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn." ' "
As any grain farmer will tell you, tares are, especially early in their growth, almost indistinguishable from wheat. The “tares” within the “field” of the Church are likewise often difficult to distinguish from genuinely born-again people. They appear externally to be real disciples of Jesus, attending church, praying, tithing, serving in church ministries, and so on. They share in the work and life of the Church, though inwardly they are as Jesus described:
Matthew 15:7-8
7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
8 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.
Although they have not responded with a saving faith to it, “tares” within the church have nonetheless been enlightened to the truth of the Gospel. They understand the Gospel intellectually but have not embraced it at a heart level (Lu. 8:4-15; Matt. 13:3-23) It is not, then, necessary to think that when the writer of Hebrews wrote of those who were “once enlightened” that he meant genuinely born-again people. The passage does not mandate a particular degree of enlightenment; but the falling away of those who were “enlightened” suggests strongly that the enlightenment they had was of a lesser kind that did not result in spiritual regeneration.
The assumption by the SAL (saved-and-lost) crowd is that “tasted of the heavenly gift” means “salvation.” But is salvation really being described by this phrase? “Taste” is not suggestive of the sort of total regeneration (Eph. 2:1) or fundamental transformation (2 Cor. 5:17) Scripture describes of a truly born-again person. One cannot “taste” of the second, spiritual birth any more than one can “taste” of one's first, physical birth. One is either born, or one is not; there is no intermediate, semi-born state. When the writer of Hebrews described a person who had “tasted of the heavenly gift” it seems very unlikely, then, that he meant someone who had been genuinely born-again.
What is the “heavenly gift”? This is clearly a reference to Jesus (Ro. 6:23) and/or to the Holy Spirit (Ac. 2:38). How could a lost person “taste” of the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit? (Ro. 8:9) A “tare” in the Church could do so in a multitude of ways. Partaking in worship, or in ministries of the Church, or in the holy fellowship of believers are all opportunities for a “tare” in the Church to “taste of the heavenly gift.” It is a second-hand sort of tasting, to be sure, but tasting nonetheless. It is not, then, necessary to think that one who has “tasted of the heavenly gift” must be a truly saved person and so we are not obliged to think that Hebrews 6:1-8 is indicating a genuine believer can lose his (or her) salvation.
The passage in Hebrews 6 also refers to those who were “partakers of the Holy Spirit.” Surely, this must refer to a spiritually-regenerated person! Again, this only seems mandated when one assumes beforehand a saved-and-lost doctrine and reads the passage through such a doctrinal lens. If it is possible for one to partake of the Holy Spirit without being actually born-again, then a saved-and-lost doctrine may be denied in this passage. What is meant, then, by “partake”? Does it mean “spiritually regenerated”? No, it doesn't. “Partaker” in this instance means “partner” or “participant” (metochos in Greek) and does not necessarily carry the idea of spiritual regeneration. Certainly, a “tare” in the Church could partner or participate with the Spirit in ministries within the Church. I have heard of pastors who did just this for decades, thinking they were saved but realizing eventually that they were not. Scripture itself offers to us people who were partners in the work of the Spirit of God but not spiritually-regenerated. Balaam the prophet is an obvious example (2Pe. 2:15; Nu. 22-24); Samson is another (Ju. 14-16); Judas, one of the Twelve, also comes to mind; there are those described by Jesus who prophesy, perform miracles and cast out demons in his name but who are rejected at the Final Judgment (Matt. 7:21-23), too. Each of these in some measure and way were participating in God's purposes, even displaying divine power (prophesying, casting out demons, killing the enemies of Israel, etc.) but at the same time not true saints of God. The passage in Hebrews 6, then, does not require the adoption of a saved-and-lost view. As we can see, there are entirely valid reasons to think the passage was referring to the lost rather than the saved-and-lost.
Some of the SAL persuasion argue that the phrase “fall away” in Hebrews 6:6 establishes that it is a born-again person to whom the passage refers. From what could the person described fall away but from salvation? This, of course, assumes that the passage is speaking of a genuinely saved person which, given what has already been explained, is by no means certain. What, then, is it from which the religious lost person “falls away”? The answer: the sole avenue of salvation available in Christ. If after their close association with, and experience of, the things of the Spirit and the Gospel the “tare” turns (falls away) from them, scorning the atoning sacrifice of Christ, there is almost no likelihood of repentance and genuine spiritual regeneration.
2 Peter 2:19-22
19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.
20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.
21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.
22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire."
This is a favorite passage among SAL folk for promoting the idea that a saved person may lose their salvation. But, again, they are typically imposing a pre-supposed doctrinal view on what is written. Their thinking goes: How does one escape the pollution of the World but by being saved? Of course, the passage does not ever use the word “salvation,” or “regenerated,” or “saved,” or “converted,” or the phrase “born-again,” - terminology common to discussion of salvation in other places in the New Testament - but instead describes only those who have gained a knowledge (Gk. - recognize, acknowledge, “know upon some mark”) of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This is strongly suggestive, not of a truly converted person, but of one who has only an intellectual apprehension of the nature and salvific work of Christ.
What, then, did Peter mean by “escaped the pollutions of the World”? Well, he wrote in chapter 2 specifically of false teachers and it is these false teachers to whom he was referring when he wrote of those who had escaped the pollutions of the World by a knowledge of the Saviour only to be entangled in them again. Nothing in Peter's description of false teachers in chapter 2 of his second letter suggests he thought they were genuinely born-again. Their “escape from the pollutions of the world” was not internal, spiritual and genuine, but external and false. Their associations with the Church would necessarily require some outward separation from the World; they could not rise as teachers within the Church otherwise. They are in this respect like those Paul described as “having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof.” (2 Ti. 3:5) Outwardly they appear to have forsaken the World and its pollutions but inwardly they are in bondage to sin, “having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children.” (2 Pe. 2:14)
It is evident, then, that the proof texts or passages of the SAL (saved and lost) perspective that have been discussed do not serve as solid ground upon which to rest the notion that a genuinely saved person can lose their salvation. This is no surprise given what the Bible clearly and explicitly teaches concerning the basis for a believer's adoption into God's family and the divine source of their justification, sanctification and transformation. Paul described the problem with the saved-and-lost view best when he wrote,
Galatians 3:2-3 (NKJV)
2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?
He answers his own question with a resounding “No!”:
Galatians 5:1,4 (NKJV)
1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage...
4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
Our salvation did not begin on the basis of our good works, our obedience to God's commands, and it does not continue on that basis. Our salvation is entirely God's work, from beginning to end, that He might get all the glory for our redemption and transformation:
1 Corinthians 1:26-31
26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.
27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;
28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,
29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.
30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption--
31 that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord."
