1. Humanity's radical corruption
2. God's sovereign choice
3. Christ's purposeful atonement
4. The Spirit's effective call to salvation
5. God's preservation of the saints
Over several posts, I'll be sharing how I came to my understanding of each of these doctrines, to the best of my recollection. And I'd have to say my first encounter was with #5 - God's preservation of the saints, also called eternal security.
When I look back on my upbringing, I have to marvel at God's gracious work in my life to bring me to where I am today. During the first twenty years of my life, my biblical instruction was limited, and I wasn't yet "alive" to the things of God. But one thing I never questioned at that time was the notion of "once saved, always saved."
That someone could lose their salvation was never even a consideration until the subject was brought up in discussion with friends during our early married years. (It was also during this time frame that I came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.) I remember sitting around their kitchen table, and Martin asked us what we thought about the possibility that someone could lose their salvation. I was so dumbfounded by the question, my only response was, "You mean there are people who believe that?" Martin laughed and said, "Yeah, it's like turning a light switch off and on."
The aspect of the doctrine of preservation of the saints with which I have wrestled, though, is the false assurance of salvation, derived from an incorrect view of salvation or a false assumption of one's faith. How do we explain those people who profess saving faith in Christ, but their lives don't testify to saving faith? Scripture is clear that if one is genuinely saved from their sins, he will bear spiritual fruit and experience the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. Many people are led astray by messengers who reduce salvation to walking an aisle, raising a hand, or "praying the prayer." I have come to really appreciate the parable of the sower found in three of the gospels. I did a blog post on that parable in 2007, so you may click on the link if you wish to read it, but the point I want to make is that those who are true followers of Christ (represented by the good soil) "are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience" (Luke 8:15).
One other passage of scripture that has been important in my understanding of the preservation of the saints is in John 6. Jesus assures us with these words:
"I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up on the last day."
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