Conclusions
A Part of Eternal
Security vs. Conditional Perseverance
by Ray Moore and Mike
Stine
Intro
Election
Grace
Perseverance
Conclusions
Bibliography
We find that in these issues it is perhaps easiest and
best to agree to disagree. This is not an issue that affects our
salvation; we are both going to heaven and have full assurance in
that.
It would appear then that the issue is did these
people truly repent and receive salvation. Or did they come to
the knowledge of God and Christ but never made Christ Lord over their
life.
For years we have watched people claim that they
receive Christ as their savior and even get baptized. After a
couple of months, maybe even years, however, many all but disappear
only to be found worse spiritually than they were before they became
saved. This is not salvation.
We find that whether there is a loss of salvation or
that these people were never truly saved, they are in trouble.
Either way, whatever one believes on the issue of eternity security,
these people face eternal damnation if they do not repent of their
sins, just as an unbeliever needs to repent.
We have found some questions that have not been fully
answered and perhaps cannot be fully explained within our finite
minds. We have asked numerous people as well as researched the
answer ourselves and cannot find an explanation. It is
Revelation 22:19, "And if anyone takes away from the words of the
book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the book of
life, from the Holy City and from the things that are written in the
book." (NKJV) [NIV and NASB says tree of life, not book, but this
still references to eternity and a loss of eternity with God.]
While we do not believe that this is an unforgivable
sin, mentioned right at the end of the Bible, we also do not believe
that God is making an idle threat, proving himself to be a liar.
A good explanation for this passage we have not found.
We have found our views possibly best summarized by
Erwin Lutzer in The Doctrines that Divides. In it he
says, "Arminianism is the name most often associated with the
belief that a saved person can eventually be lost. Yet Arminius
himself did not teach this doctrine explicitly. He simply said
that it was an open question. He thought that Calvinists who
believed that all saints would persevere had no right to be so
certain." This statement is probably the most intelligent
either of us has heard on the issue and it is what we would like to
close with.
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Bibliography
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