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No Strings Attached…

I’m happy to announce that you can now read Testing the Trinity on-line, without investing anything but your time. It traces the origins of this enigmatic doctrine as it attempts to distill a coherent view of “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” that actually aligns with Scripture, because more often than not, the historic doctrine of the Trinity simply implodes when you try to reconcile it against scores of passages.

You can always purchase the paperback or e-book version if you decide that you want to support this website, but until you’ve made a decision one way or the other, you can take the book for a test-drive, free of charge. Here’s what’s inside…

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Predestination (Part 4) – Transformation, not Destination

In Part 3 of this series on predestination, I challenged you to do a little homework and search for the word “predestination” using your favorite Bible app.  If you did this, you discovered that the word “predestination” isn’t actually in the Bible!  What the Bible does talk about, however, are people and events being “predestined” or “foreordained” by God.

This may seem like a trivial distinction, but it’s an important one.  For although our eternal “destination” is clearly of paramount significance, we do both God and ourselves a disservice if we fail to marvel at the God-ordained “destiny” that gets us there.  Because ultimately, fixating on the result of the process not only truncates our understanding of salvation in general, but quite frankly, also robs God of His deserved glory.

To draw an analogy, imagine Beethoven sitting down to compose his timeless 5th symphony.  Before penning the first measure, he already knew how he wanted to open the piece, how it was going to conclude, and which themes he planned to develop throughout all four movements.  At the same time, he determined the instrumentation, dynamics, and harmonies that would bring his vision to life when the piece was performed.  In every sense of the word, Beethoven “predestined” the entire composition.  Every note is intentional, and every musician has a unique part to play, such that audiences today are still awed by the genius of Beethoven’s masterpiece whenever it is performed. 

Similarly, God has ordained a “symphony” for all of history which begins with…and eventually culminates in…the establishment of His eternal kingdom.  We see the wonder of His vision on full display in the opening chapters of Genesis, wherein He inaugurates an earthly kingdom predicated upon the themes of boundless love, perfect righteousness, and matchless glory.  Then, in the final pages of Revelation, we see the supreme glory of God’s Kingdom under the eternal reign of His chosen King, Jesus Christ.

But unlike Beethoven, who had every reason to expect that the orchestra would faithfully realize his vision when his symphony was performed, God foresaw that His “musicians” weren’t going to play the notes as they were written.  In fact, He knew that mankind would utterly destroy the sublime harmonies of His magnificent score, preferring selfishness over love, evil instead of righteousness, and shame in place of glory! 

Furthermore, whereas Beethoven would have likely thrown up his hands in disgust and stormed off the stage, God did precisely the opposite.  For rather than firing every inept musician, God intentionally chose to work every wrong note and miscue into the score.  And in the end, when God’s masterpiece finally reaches its climax, we will stand in awe before our gracious God who has brought His Kingdom to fruition…in spite of all of the forces that conspired against it.  It’s the very essence of Romans 8:28:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28 (ESV)

If you’ve heard this verse once, I’m sure you’ve heard it 1,000 times. Unfortunately, though, whenever we read this passage through the eyes and ears of 21st century, western Christianity, we reduce it to little more than a mantra and miss its intended impact.  But try to grasp the significance of this verse to the fledgling church in Rome! In the years following Paul’s letter, they would need to cling to the truth of Romans 8:28 as their lives would be marked by relentless persecution, suffering, and martyrdom:

  • First century Christians were thrown into prison simply for upholding the name of Christ.
  • They were used as human torches in Nero’s gardens, burned alive for their testimony.
  • They were torn to pieces by wild beasts in the Coliseum on account of their faith.

In fact, the entirety of Romans 8 reads like an apostolic “half-time speech” given to a battered, demoralized team that has had a rough first half. Paul is essentially encouraging the 1st century church—and by association, us today—to stick to the game plan and play hard in the second half. Because although things may look bleak, Paul wants us to know that our faith is not futile, and that God is still in control. He wants us to remember that the victory has already been won, so that even in the face of overwhelming adversity, we can persevere in the knowledge that nothing can separate God’s children from His love!

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:35-39

Without a doubt, Romans 8 was written to assure every believer that our suffering is never in vain. For since God is in control of every situation—including our trials—we know that everything happens for a reason, “according to His purpose” (v. 28):

For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him.  We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.
Philippians 1:29-30

Furthermore, since we trust that God is good, we can press on in the full assurance that God’s reasons for allowing our afflictions are also good. Or to put it differently, since God works through all things to advance His kingdom—even when we can’t see it—whatever is good for His kingdom is clearly good for His faithful servants, “those who love God.”

So, is the end of the story—the “destination”—important?  Absolutely!  Is Christ worthy of the glory, power, and honor that we see Him receive in the final chapters of Revelation?  Without question!  But if we don’t contemplate the mess between Genesis 3 and Revelation 20, we completely miss the profound love of a Holy, righteous God who was not willing to abandon creation and leave His “orchestra” to its own chaotic, discordant devices; moreover, Christ’s glory is diminished, and His sacrifice effectively becomes little more than a footnote.  It’s like listening to only the last 15 seconds of Beethoven’s 5th symphony and thinking we know anything about his masterpiece. 

As such, even though knowing that Christ will one day reign in righteousness is what guarantees our future hope, we dare not discount the price that was paid to get there.  Jesus is both the Lion and the Lamb, and we cannot separate one from the other.  We cannot merely focus on how things ultimately “end up”, because we will fail to apprehend the wisdom and mercy of our God who somehow brings everything together even when it seems that the composition is about to fall apart.  This probably seems like common sense, and yet we make this very mistake when we talk about doctrines of “predestination.”

So how does this notion of “God working all things together for good” in Romans 8:28 inform our understanding of what it means for us to be individually “predestined”?  Quite simply, it is the key to understanding the next two verses:

For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called he also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified.
Romans 8:29-30 (ESV)

To this point in our series, we have been hyper-focused on the events and circumstances that contribute to our conversion, but in these two verses we essentially get “the rest of the story”.  Known as the ordo salutis, which is Latin for the “order of salvation”, these verses provide an outline of the steps in a person’s salvation…and being “predestined” takes center stage.  Consequently, this passage has spurred endless debate between Calvinists and Arminians, because when Calvinists read it, it sounds something like this:

From before time began, God foreknew everyone whom He was going to save.  Accordingly, He determined (predestined) to give them new hearts that were capable of receiving Christ.  He did this to guarantee Christ’s inheritance, for all those who have been born again will ultimately respond in repentance to the conviction of the Holy Spirit (calling).  And all those who repent and receive Christ are not only declared to be righteous in His sight (justified) but are guaranteed the gift of eternal life when they are eventually glorified in His presence.

Arminians, on the other hand, read the passage this way:

Before anything existed, God looked down through time and foresaw everyone who would one day respond to the Gospel (calling) by falling upon Christ as their Lord and Savior.  These are the ones whom God has predestined for salvation, purposing to give them new hearts and thereby declaring them to be righteous (justified) by virtue of Christ’s atoning sacrifice.  And ultimately, all those whose sin has been covered with the blood of Christ will one day receive eternal life when they are glorified in His presence.

If you just consider the bold, italicized words in the Arminian rendering, Calvinists object that Arminians get things “out of order”.  For whereas Paul clearly puts God’s “calling” of “those whom God foreknew” after He has already “predestined” them, Arminians apparently reverse the chain of events.  For that reason alone, Calvinists declare that the Arminian view of salvation is fatally flawed; moreover, they contend that Arminians actually rob God of His sovereignty by turning “predestination” into little more than a divine “rubber stamp”.  (And on this latter point, I’m inclined to agree…) 

Conversely, Arminians critique the way in which Calvinists constrain God’s foreknowledge, not to mention the issue of free will in general…hence the cycle continues.  And quite frankly, as long as we accept the premise that these two verses are primarily concerned with helping us understand how someone “gets saved”, then this debate is doomed (dare I say…destined?) to continue. 

The problem is that even though the moment of someone’s conversion isn’t explicitly mentioned, Calvinists and Arminians alike distort this crucial passage by reducing God’s act of “predestining” His children to mean “the cause of their conversion”; accordingly, they will never agree on what the passage means.  Because practically speaking, this perspective inherently restricts what it means to be “predestined”, “called”, and “justified” to a single point in time, all focused on the moment that someone accepts Christ.  Not that this moment isn’t of utmost importance, but this narrow view of being “predestined” ignores the fact that our justification is ultimately tied to a lifetime of obedience and daily repentance…not a single decision, or even a “good start”: 

But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
James 2:20-24 (NKJV)

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”
Luke 9:23

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Matthew 7:21-23

For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.
Hebrews 3:14

Indeed, Calvinist and Arminian interpretations of this passage make sense only if you de-couple these two verses from the surrounding context, which ignores the fact that Paul is writing Romans 8 to believers who are experiencing unimaginable persecution. 

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Romans 8:18

Once again, try to put yourself in their shoes!  The believers in Rome were probably wondering if God had rejected them, or if He was punishing them; yet, we have already seen that Paul is assuring them of precisely the opposite.  They are in the center of His will, their suffering is for the sake of His kingdom and His glory, and they can persevere in the knowledge that their salvation is indeed secure.  Therefore, Paul is urging the believers to remain faithful to the name of Christ, to endure the persecution by holding fast to their eternal hope, and to trust that their suffering is not in vain.  As such, perhaps the broader context of Romans 8:18-39 should really be referred to as the patientia fidelium—”the endurance of the faithful”—with the so-called ordo salutis being simply a reminder that those who remain faithful to God can also trust that He will be faithful to keep His promise to receive them into Heaven.  Consequently, when we read Romans 8:18-39 in the correct light, it sounds more like this:

I know what you are enduring for the name of Christ, and how you long for our future hope: the redemption of our bodies and spending eternity with Christ!  Know that the Spirit of God groans with you as you patiently endure these trials and wait for that hope to be realized.  Also know that until that day comes, the Spirit will help us endure in spite of our weakness.  For even if we don’t know how we should pray, the Spirit intercedes for us according to God’s will.

Because for all those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose, we can be sure that He is working all things together for good…including our suffering!  So do not lose heart, for there are no accidents or surprises with God.  He has always known that all of this was going to happen to you, to those whom He loves; indeed, everything that is happening is actually a necessary part of His plan to glorify His Son and expand His Kingdom! So although it doesn’t seem good now, just know that at this time, and for this season, He is calling you to this difficult trial.  Not because he is displeased with you, or because He is indifferent to your plight, or because He has removed His love from you, but it is for the sake of the Name of His Son, by whose blood you have been redeemed.

So I urge you in Christ to stand firm, and do not waver from your testimony.  Keep trusting in the One who has redeemed you, for we know that when God calls us to endure trials and persecution for His glory, He is actually making us more and more like His Son!  Indeed, just as we participate in His sufferings, we will also share in His glory!  For as we patiently obey and endure, His Spirit is increasingly revealed in us.  And one day, when we see Him face to face at last, that glory will be fully realized for all eternity.

Remember, since God is for us, who can be against us?  Nothing He asks of us can separate us from His love, for the sufferings of this present time are for only a moment and cannot compare with the glory that will be revealed in us for all eternity! 

As God’s children, then, we need to recognize that what is good for God’s kingdom often means that we will be called to sacrifice for His sake and for His glory.  This reality runs contrary to much of contemporary preaching that treats Christ more like a genie than The Lord; however, it should not come as a surprise.  For not only did Jesus warn that His disciples should expect persecution, but the apostles repeatedly admonish us to rejoice in our trials because they strengthen our faith even as they develop the character of Christ within us:  

Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you.
John 15:20 

Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.
1 Peter 4:13

We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;  perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Romans 5:3-4 (NIV)

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
James 1:2-4

Here again, it’s all too easy to put ourselves and our own “good” at the heart of Romans 8:28, but this only leads to confusion and discouragement when pain and suffering inevitably comes our way. On the other hand, when we start from the standpoint of God’s kingdom and His glory, then this verse becomes a source of strength during those times when our lives aren’t meeting up to our “expectations.” Accordingly, maybe the NIV gets more to the heart of the matter:

And we know that in all things God works together with those who love him to bring about what is good—with those who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28 (NIV – alternate translation)

Furthermore, if we are truly “those who love God,” then our response to His call upon our lives—regardless of the personal cost—will be one of willing obedience and devotion. Just like the first century martyrs who died for the name of Christ. Or like those who are dying yet today. Or like Jesus Himself on the eve of His crucifixion. They gave their lives in the certain hope that their heavenly reward is secure for all eternity.

So while it is doubtful that those early martyrs fully grasped the reason that God allowed their intense pain and suffering, it seems clear that God used their vicious persecution to establish an enduring testimony to the truthfulness of the Gospel. It is sheer credulity to assert that so many people would have suffered so intensely for something that they knew to be a mere myth or a lie, so the “good” that God brought out of their affliction was clearly the building up of His church! The blood of the martyrs glorified God by proclaiming the truth of the Gospel then…and it still shouts to us today.

Similarly, while we may not fully comprehend how God is working in the midst of our own tribulations, one day it will be clear to us, and we will praise God for His wisdom and His goodness. We will finally understand how even our most agonizing trials fit into God’s plan; we will see the good that God brought out of every situation; and we will realize that He never let us face anything beyond what we were able to bear:

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
1 Corinthians 10:13

When we read this passage, our minds naturally gravitate towards those things we are tempted to do which would constitute sin; however, disobedience also manifests itself whenever we yield to temptations that prompt us to avoid the things that God is actually calling us to do, especially things that are difficult, painful, or costly.  And given the suffering that Paul continually appeals to throughout Romans 8, this latter kind of temptation is probably the thrust of Romans 8:29-30.  For although they could have escaped persecution and death by simply renouncing the name of Christ, God was calling the believers in Rome to stay faithful to Him and to trust in His goodness.  They don’t need to understand His plan, they don’t need to approve of it, they simply need to obey.  Those that do are the ones who will be justified and ultimately glorified, while those who renounce God’s calling, will not:

“But my righteous one will live by faith.  And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.” But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.
Hebrews 10:38-39

Accordingly, until the day that we are finally called home to spend eternity with our Lord and Savior, we need to learn to emulate the many heroes of our faith—both past and present—who persevered through excruciating circumstances despite the cost. We need to learn to live by faith and not by sight, because it is our willingness to trust in God’s plan that demonstrates the depth of our faith and truly glorifies Him. Just like Abraham’s decision to leave his homeland…or his willingness to sacrifice Isaac. Not to mention the dedication of Peter, Paul, James, and John, who gave their lives for the Gospel. And don’t forget about the faithfulness of Noah, David, and Job!  Then, of course, there is Jesus’ supreme act of obedience to the Father when He went to the cross:

He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Philippians 2:8

In conclusion, while our individual “destination” is certainly the overarching goal of God’s plan for each of us, the “end result” of His plan is really just that: the inevitable outcome of a sequence of carefully planned events and circumstances that God decreed before time began.  For just as Beethoven prescribed the part that each musician would contribute to his symphony, God foreknew all those who would surrender their hearts to Him, and He subsequently gave them unique parts to play in His masterpiece.  He mapped out our individual destinies, for our eternal good as well as His glory, such that even the things that seem to be contrary to His plan are nonetheless being integrated by God towards a greater purpose.  And along the way, as we faithfully and consistently submit to whatever cross that God has asked us to carry, our obedience not only glorifies the name of Christ, but it simultaneously conforms us to His image:

For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. 
Romans 8:29 (ESV)

In short, God doesn’t merely predestinate our glorified “end”—which is the emphasis of both Calvinists and Arminians—but He orchestrates the “means” of our sanctification as well.  For although God accepts us as we are when we initially come to Christ, He never leaves us as we were.  Conversion is simply the first step in God’s broader plan for each of His children, our individual sanctification: 

For this is the will of God, your sanctification.
1 Thessalonians 4:3 (KJV)

The heart of “predestination”, then, is really the unique part that God has written for each one of us to play in the drama of redemptive history.  His Son is clearly the featured soloist, but God has nonetheless given each of His children supporting parts to play as His Kingdom advances towards its eventual fulfillment.  And as we learn to increasingly trust and obey, our wrong notes are fewer, our miscues less frequent, and our parts take on more and more of the Concertmaster’s majestic melody:

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:8-10

Thus, when we consider what it means to be predestined by our wise, loving, Father, we need to remember that the journey from Genesis 3 to Revelation 22…including our part in it…is the emphasis of the Father’s sovereign plan.  It’s about redeeming what was lost…and glorifying the One who died to redeem it.  It’s about establishing His glorious Kingdom upon the earth…even as it is in Heaven.  It’s about transformation, reconciliation, and restoration, such that any understanding of “predestination” that skips over the glory of that transformation—for everything…and everyone—simply misses the point.

The Discipline of Thankfulness

On the eve of another Thanksgiving, it seems appropriate to take a few minutes and reflect upon the importance of being thankful. Not simply because of the holiday, but primarily in light of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, where he urges believers to:

"Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ."
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT)

Most of us have so much to be thankful for, but if we’re honest, it’s grumbling about our frustrations and irritations that kind of comes naturally.  And while I’m sure we can all rattle off the list of everything about our lives that isn’t quite meeting our expectations… being thankful? That’s a choice.  It’s deliberately choosing not to take our blessings for granted.  

And not many of us do it often enough…

So although there’s certainly nothing wrong with a day of Thanksgiving, it seems like a far cry from what Paul is admonishing us to do: be thankful in “all circumstances”. And while this may seem like a tall order, it’s not merely some random thought from the apostle. This theme permeates Paul’s writings (not to mention the rest of the New Testament). Just turn back to Philippians, where he expounds upon these same admonitions to rejoice, pray, and be thankful:

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near - so do not be anxious about anything!  But in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:4-7

These aren’t empty words from Paul. He wrote this letter when he was being held under house arrest, chained to a Roman soldier! He was not a free man; nevertheless, Paul was able to rejoice because his hope was rooted in his relationship with his Savior, Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all and Son of the Living God.  He was at peace, he was content, because he chose to focus on the good things he had to be thankful for, and left his circumstances in God’s capable hands.  He continues: 

"And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. 

I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength."
Philippians 4:8-9,12-13 (NLT)

And it is in this passage that we see the power of intentional thankfulness, which comes from appreciating those things that are “good”, even when times and circumstances are hardest…you can always find something, no matter how small that good may seem.  So every day, we should be reminding ourselves of the “good” that exists in the world and in each other. It doesn’t mean that we ignore real issues, or that we still don’t feel it when something that isn’t good happens; but, choosing to remember the “excellent and praiseworthy” helps put inconveniences into perspective and keeps us from being overwhelmed by our circumstances.

So this Thanksgiving, think about what it means to give thanks in “all circumstances”. Give thanks for the small things. Big things. Even the hard things that God has brought you through. Look for and genuinely appreciate what is “good”, even in the things that are driving you the most crazy. And then resolve to take a few minutes every day to keep doing it. Because whenever we neglect Paul’s exhortation to be thankful, or worse yet focus on those parts of our lives that seem to be anything but “good”, we deprive God of the praise He not only desires, but also deserves.

And over time, as we develop a daily rhythm of showing gratitude to God for everything we have to be thankful for, our prayers come alive. Our joy increases. And we find more things to be thankful for. And the cycle repeats…

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ.”

Maybe it’s not such a tall order, after all.

Is Salvation a Free Gift?

“Salvation is a free gift.”

How many times have you heard this statement? Probably even said it yourself? This affirmation is one of the most often repeated statements in Christian parlance, and although there is a lot of truth in this statement, its overuse has rendered it a virtual half–truth that does very little to promote true discipleship and potentially gives people a false sense of security.

Now I wouldn’t be surprised if many of you are already turning to Romans 6:23 to prove to yourself that you don’t need to read this post any further, because Paul clearly says:

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."

And yes, this is how the New Living Translation renders this passage (as well as many other versions, admittedly) but there are just as many translations that omit the adjective “free” and still others that translate it as “gracious gift”, instead. So why is there a difference? Which one is “right”, and are the others “wrong”? And in the final analysis, does it really matter?

Suffice it to say that there are good reasons for the differences between translations, and exploring those reasons can certainly make for an interesting exercise. But in this case, trying to settle on the “right” translation would be nothing more than a distraction. Because if we really listened to what Paul is trying to tell us in this well-known verse, whether we read it as “gift”, “free gift”, or even “gracious gift” wouldn’t matter all that much.

Here and Now

Quite frankly, we miss the full import of Romans 6:23 whenever we paraphrase it as “salvation is a free gift”, because that isn’t even what Paul says… Take a closer look, because regardless of your translation, he doesn’t say that the “gift of God is salvation through Christ Jesus” (even though that’s part of it); rather, Paul clearly states that “eternal life through Christ Jesus” is the gift that is freely, graciously given. So even though I’m quite sure that Paul wouldn’t disagree per se with the notion that “salvation is a gift”, I’m equally sure that he would take issue with our somewhat self-serving view of “eternal life”.

If you asked the average Christian to define “eternal life”, their answer would probably be something along the lines of: “All who put their faith in Christ have been forgiven of their sins and will receive mercy and/or escape judgment because of what Christ has done.” True enough, but this definition not only puts the emphasis on what we get, but it also belies a false assumption that too many Christians have become conditioned to implicitly accept: we think of “eternal life”—aka “the gift”—as the life that believers will experience “when we die and go to Heaven”…someday.

In other words, for most Christians the notions of “salvation” and “eternal life” are predominantly future, ultimate realities. Again, while this is partially true, the problem is that I don’t think this is what Paul, John, or Jesus had in mind when they talk about “eternal life” or even “salvation”. For them, “life” and “salvation” are present realities that start here and now.

What is the Gift?

We need to remember that the future consummation of “eternal life”–namely the escape from God’s wrath which will one day be every believer’s “gift”–is simply an irrevocable outcome of the spiritual transformation that has previously occurred in the heart of the believer. You cannot separate one from the other, and even though the authors of the New Testament certainly do not hesitate to remind us of our future hope, their primary concern is always how believers should live now in light of the “life” we have already been given.

Indeed, Paul stresses in his letter to the Corinthians that we are new creations in Christ…not that we will be new creations one day, when our bodies are finally resurrected:

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" 
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

So what does it mean to be “in Christ”? What is this “new creation” that Paul is referring to? He is calling our attention to the spiritual change that occurs when we repent and embrace Jesus Christ as Lord: a restored relationship with God through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit.

In other words, the actual “gift” of Romans 6:23 is not some future outcome that we experience after we die, it is God’s Spirit abiding within us now and forever…something none of us deserve or can hope to earn (which, incidentally, is why it has to be “free”). Indeed, the gift isn’t merely escaping God’s wrath at some point in the future, but being able to call God our Father today! That relationship, that gift, is the reason why God’s children will ultimately be shown mercy; moreover, according to Jesus that relationship is the real meaning of eternal life:

"Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."
John 17:3 (NIV)

Why do you think Paul appeals to us being “new creations” once we are “in Christ”? Because just as God’s spirit hovered over the chaotic deep “in the beginning”–bringing order, beauty, and purpose to a physical world that was dark and devoid of life–when someone gives their heart to Jesus, God’s Spirit starts working within them to transform hearts that have been wrecked and marred by the consequences–the “wages”–of sin. And in place of the chaos and devastation that sin has left behind, His Spirit brings forth authentic, spiritual life that results in fruit of lasting value: love, joy, and peace…just to name a few. We are spiritually reborn from the moment of conversion, new creations in Christ by the power of His Spirit. And it is good.

Put differently, when Paul says that “the new is here!”, he is reminding us that since the “gift” is given now, the “life” that flows out of that gift is also a present reality. We are “in Christ” from the moment we put our faith in Him, so eternal life…at least on the spiritual level…is something that starts “here and now”, not “there and then”. And Paul is not alone in this declaration:

"I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life."
John 5:24 (NLT)

Furthermore, not only does Jesus indicate that “eternal life” starts now, but he also seems to distinguish between the notions of “eternal life” versus ultimately being raised back to life. Not because they are somehow separate, but because He wants us to remember that they are inextricably linked:

"For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day."
John 6:40 (NIV)

Faith that Works

So why does this matter? Because when we conceive of “eternal life” as something that is future, far-off, and a gift that we possess, we can easily be lulled into a sense of complacency and shallow religiosity that emphasizes “believing the right things” over “living out the Gospel.” It’s the danger that John chastises the Churches about in the book of Revelation, and it’s what James famously warns us about in his epistle:

"In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."
James 2:17

In similar fashion, while many Christians are quick to quote Ephesians 2:8-9…

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast..."

…Paul doesn’t stop there:

"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Ephesians 2:10

Furthermore, while Romans 6:23 is clearly a favorite among Christians, the connection between eternal life and our actions is right there as well. Just go back one verse:

"But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.  For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 6:22-23 (NLT)

Becoming a “slave of God” is what this gift entails, which means that we don’t live our lives to please ourselves; rather, we pledge ourselves to serving and obeying our new Master. But does any of that come through when we simply recite the platitude that “salvation is a free gift”? This phrase almost makes it seem like salvation is a kind of “get out of jail free” card that we just happily accept now…to be redeemed later.

Willing Servants

Indeed, the very essence of the gift is that we are given the privilege of counting ourselves as servants to a new Master who has good plans and is actually for us, rather than remaining slaves to the master who abuses us and wants to destroy us. Accepting this gift changes everything, because when we receive it, we simultaneously renounce the kingdom of the world and become children of God who are able to enter into His Kingdom! But this gift is given not because we have earned that right (because we can’t), or because we deserve a chance to prove ourselves (because we don’t). It is offered only on account of the compassion that God has extended to us through His Son:

"But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God."
John 1:12-13 (NLT)

In the final analysis, then, the New Testament is clear that we are all servants regardless. Our “default condition” is living out our lives in slavery to sin and reaping the wages of disobeying God: immorality, depravity, hostility, strife, jealousy, anger…in a word, death. But God invites us to trust Him, to live our lives based upon faith in Him and in His promises, because even when it’s hard, we know that serving Him always results in blessing: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness…in a word, life. The problem for us, though, is twofold: not only does our sin necessarily separate us from the only Source who can actually give us that kind of life, but without His presence we have no hope of living otherwise.

Indeed, we would all be hopelessly “trapped” and forever beholden to our cruel master, but the good news—the Gospel—is that God made a way to be in constant communion with Him through the death and resurrection of His only Son. God made a way to be reconciled with Him so that we can experience the kind of genuine, abundant life that comes only from knowing and walking with Him who is the truth, the way, and the life. This is the gift, and as His servants we seek to do His will, to please Him, and to serve Him from hearts that are full of gratitude…not pride, merit, or boasting. And it is in this “free gift” —the right of Christ’s disciples to be counted as God’s child—that we find life:

"I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and go out, and find pasture.  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."
John 10:9-11 (NET)

Don’t be fooled! Accepting the gift and becoming a child of God means rejecting the wisdom of the world and choosing every day to live your life in the light of God’s revealed truth. And our model for how to do this, our example of how to live as a citizen of the Kingdom of God, is none other than the one who died to redeem us: the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is what being a child of God looks like. He is the perfectly obedient Son who always did His Father’s will…regardless of the personal cost. He alone is worthy to call God Father, He is the Son who is without equal, and if we claim to be His disciple—if we presume to call Him “Lord” and God “our Father”—we must strive to do the same:

"Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me."
Luke 9:23 (NET)

So the next time you hear someone say “salvation is a free gift”, remind them that the gift is actually the life of endless blessing that comes from being reconciled with our Heavenly Father through what Jesus has done for us. It’s the privilege of being able to walk with our God today and every day, not a “membership card” that we will redeem on the day of Judgment to escape His wrath.

And remind them that this gift is anything but free. Because this gift not only demands that we die to ourselves, but it required Jesus to sacrifice Himself for us.

Can Salvation be lost? (part 2)

In Part 1 of this series on Assurance, we considered what Scripture has to say about whether someone can “lose their salvation”, and the clear message is that Christ’s disciples cannot be “snatched away” from Him.  Moreover, since we know that Jesus’ work of atonement cannot be reversed or nullified, it is indeed true that for all those who are “in Christ” salvation cannot be taken from us. 

Still, when you look closely at the passages which guarantee eternal life for those who are in Christ, their testimony is simply that nothing outside of ourselves has the power to either invalidate or deprive us of God’s gift. That is not the same thing, however, as saying that once a person comes to faith in Christ that they are perpetually in a state of saving grace.

Don’t forget that everyone lives by faith in something, so it’s not as if faith suddenly “appears” at our conversion; on the contrary, our faith is transferred from the things of this world to Jesus Christ. Therefore, since Biblical faith is belief in action (see James 2), the significance of putting our faith in Jesus is how that belief affects our thoughts, our words, and our deeds from that moment forward. In other words, whereas placing our trust in Christ is how we become “saved,” it is only by living out our faith daily that we remain in the Spirit. This is stressed by John…

Even as [Jesus] spoke, many put their faith in him. To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.”
John 8:30-31
Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.
1 John 2:24 (NKJV)

as well as Paul…

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
Colossians 1:21-23
Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:1-2

not to mention the author of Hebrews:

For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.
Hebrews 3:14 (NLT)

And doesn’t this make perfect sense? Think about salvation in terms of how marriage affects every aspect of your life. When you get married, everything changes: you don’t have the same priorities, you don’t continue to “do your own thing,” and you certainly don’t continue to date other people. Because if things don’t change, if you continue to live as you did prior to getting married, then your marriage is headed for some tough times…and possibly even divorce.

In fact, the covenant of marriage provides a beautiful illustration of our relationship to God. There is a “courtship” period prior to the “wedding,” whereby the Holy Spirit draws us to Himself and brings us to faith in Christ; then as we “abide” with our “spouse” and become one, God’s Spirit works within us to make us more like our Savior. Selflessness and sacrifice are essential ingredients from both parties in order for the marriage to survive and flourish, and whereas God has already demonstrated the depth of His love for us in the sacrifice of His Son, He asks us to present ourselves daily as a living sacrifice to Him.

Moreover, it is clear that without the continued investment of time and energy from both husband and wife, the relationship will start to wither and die. That’s not to say that divorce is inevitable, for we know that reconciliation is always a possibility, but it does underscore the fact that sacrifice is an ongoing part of any successful marriage—it’s not a one-time event that happens only when you exchange rings. In other words, “getting married” (i.e., “getting saved”) is actually the easy part; building a marriage, however, requires lasting faithfulness, dedication, and selflessness. So, if a marriage requires so much effort and self-sacrifice, why do people bother? Because if you stick to it, what you give up pales in comparison to what you gain:

What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.
Philippians 3:8-9

Unfortunately, though, just as marriages sometimes end in divorce, it would seem that the potential for apostasy—repudiating your faith—is equally real:

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 6:4-6 (NKJV)

And don’t forget about the parable of the sower. Remember the seed that was received with joy but withered in the heat because it had no root? In Jesus’ own words, these are people who believe for a while and yet fall away in times of testing. Thus, it would seem that we can walk away from our relationship with God. What we can be assured of, though, is that God will never walk away from us—we’re the only ones who will end the “marriage” in divorce:

If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny who He is.
2 Timothy 2:13 (NLT)

Obviously, this presents a dilemma for those who believe that salvation can never be lost: we can’t be both eternally secure and in danger of falling away at the same time! So how do they resolve this conundrum? The typical approach espoused by those who proclaim the truth of “eternal security” is to assert that the many passages in Scripture that warn about apostasy are written for those who will ultimately fall into this sin—not for the genuine believer. In other words, those who fall away are merely showing their true colors:

They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.
1 John 2:19

While this is indeed true, declaring that “the warnings against apostasy apply only to those who actually commit apostasy” tells us nothing of significance and manages to skirt the real issue: where is the line between being saved and becoming apostate? And how do you know if you are in danger of stepping over that line?

Throwing in the Towel

Since the Bible and our own experience both confirm that people do “fall away” from the faith, how then can we reconcile the notion of eternal security with reality? For those who embrace the veracity of eternal security, it all comes down to one simple assumption: those who become apostate never had faith in the first place. This condition attempts to solve the problem by neatly separating the apostate from the faithful, making it possible to both affirm the eternal security of the true believers—who have always had saving faith—as well as explain the apostasy of those who fall away—who never had faith at all.

While this is certainly a possible explanation for the phenomenon of apostasy, is it the only one that’s valid? More importantly, does it even square with the entirety of Scripture? Can we rightly conclude that everyone who falls into this sin never really had faith? Because if this assertion is indeed true, then how do you explain someone who commits apostasy—who supposedly never had genuine faith—ever becoming a “partaker of the Holy Spirit” (Heb. 6:4) to begin with? How can that happen apart from faith?

Peter stood and addressed them as follows: “Brothers, you all know that God chose me from among you some time ago to preach to the Gentiles so that they could hear the Good News and believe. God knows people’s hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith.”
Acts 15:7-9 (NLT)

Furthermore, look closely at the seed which fell among the rocks, sprang up quickly, yet withered and died in the heat because the roots had never developed. It would certainly seem that genuine faith existed, even if only for a short time:

Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.
Luke 8:13

Note that the Gospel was initially received—with joy no less!—and began to grow. Wouldn’t this indicate that genuine faith was present? According to what we learn from the apostle John, it certainly seems like the right ingredients are there!

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
John 1:12

Indeed, Jesus does not say that the faith of those with “stony” hearts is fundamentally incapable of bearing fruit. All He tells us is that their faith ultimately faltered when they were put to the test: their hardened hearts—the “rocks”—prevented the roots from fully developing. In other words, the real issue is that the rockiness of the soil never allowed the roots to take hold—the problem is not an utter lack of faith.

In short, trying to deny the faith of everyone who commits apostasy would be analogous to saying that everyone who gets divorced was never really in love to begin with. This is undoubtedly true in some cases, but is it true in all cases? Doesn’t it seem more reasonable to suggest that our relationship with God can suffer from the same neglect and presumption that ruins marriages over time? From my perspective, the premise that everyone who commits apostasy never had faith in the first place just doesn’t hold up; therefore, neither does the doctrine of eternal security. Because if faith in Christ is something that can be renounced, then so is our salvation.

Now I know that many of us have been taught that our salvation is never in jeopardy at any time, or for any reason. And as we have already seen, there are dozens of verses that would clearly indicate that salvation is permanent and that it cannot be “lost”; nevertheless, we cannot afford to ignore the equally clear teachings of those passages which indicate something very different. So how are we to resolve this issue of “losing” our salvation? Once we are saved, can we become un-saved? Well in my opinion, we’re asking the wrong question. Perhaps the real issue is not whether we can lose our salvation—because the answer to that question is an emphatic “no”—but whether or not we can forfeit it.

Adam and Eve sure did. They were presented with a single moral obligation and asked to trust that there was a good reason behind the restriction. Instead of trusting God, though, they chose to believe the serpent and then acted upon that belief…they effectively placed their faith in Satan. The key point, though, is that they willingly chose to do what God had forbidden—Satan didn’t force them to disobey God. For not only were they given the responsibility to obey, but they were also created with the ability to do the right thing.

Consider the implication if this is not the case: if Adam was inherently incapable of choosing to obey, then that would mean that God created him already fallen. In other words, God would be responsible for creating Adam & Eve with natures that were predisposed towards sin, which would likewise imply that sin exists in God! So Adam & Eve had to possess the ability to make the right choice, because any other explanation inescapably casts a shadow on God’s character.

Thus, Adam & Eve’s failure was ultimately due to a crisis of faith, and when they turned their backs on their Creator they also lost everything which God had freely given to them: their innocence, their justification…as well as their relationship with Him. They threw it all away—they forfeited the gifts that God had given them—and in the process brought sin and its consequences upon us all. So here’s the key question: if they were able to walk away from God before sin entered the picture, why should we suppose that it’s less likely now that sin’s consequences have brought this world under a curse?

Granted, it may seem like the concept of “forfeiting” versus “losing” salvation is a distinction without a difference, for the end result is the same; yet the difference is profound. For if you are deprived of salvation, if you are able to be “snatched” away from God, then this implies that your salvation is taken from you against your will. If, on the other hand, you forfeit the gift that God has given you, then you “lose” salvation in accordance with your choice, not in spite of it.

Just think about the difference between forfeiting a baseball game versus losing it. In the first instance, you end up with a loss because you concede the game and simply stop playing; in the latter, you lose because you are beaten by an opponent. So to draw the analogy to salvation, we can rest assured that as long as we are remaining faithful to Christ, as long as we are abiding in Him and walking daily in the Spirit, we are in absolutely no danger of being beaten by our Adversary. He’s simply not strong enough to overcome us:

He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
1 John 4:4 (NKJV)

And that’s why it’s so dangerous to resist the Holy Spirit! For as we harden our hearts against God we simultaneously open ourselves up to Satan’s attack! Not that we instantly “lose our salvation” whenever we fall, because God doesn’t kick us off the team for making mistakes. But if we ultimately decide to become a “free agent,” God won’t try to keep us against our will. Like the father of the prodigal son, He will let us walk away if that is what we choose.

Therefore, it bears repeating that repentance and sacrifice has to be integral to the lifestyle of the believer. Putting our sinful natures to death and taking up our crosses is not a one-time event, but rather is part and parcel of what it means to be a Christian:

If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
Luke 9:23

So to wrap things up, is salvation something that can be “lost”? Scripture’s clear answer is an unequivocable “no”. Does that therefore mean that it is impossible for those who put their faith in Christ—i.e., those who become “saved”—to subsequently walk away from Christ and repudiate their initial profession of faith? The answer to this question would also appear to be “no”…

This tension should neither discourage us nor paralyze our faith; rather, it should motivate us to approach each day with the conscious remembrance of the love that our Savior has shown us through His willing sacrifice upon the Cross. It should drive us daily to His side— because our hearts overflow with gratitude and love for Him, not out of some selfish desire to “hold onto our salvation”—such that we choose to follow the light and leading of His Spirit in everything we do. And as we choose to follow and obey Him daily—intentionally, consistently, and willingly—we not only keep in step with Christ, but also become increasingly transformed into His likeness.

Indeed, it is our myopic fixation on escaping future judgment that causes us to ask the wrong questions about salvation in the first place. The essence of what it truly means to “be saved” is inextricably and progressively manifested though our personal transformation into the likeness of Christ—our sanctification—whereas our subsequent guarantee of exemption from eternal punishment is but the ultimate effect of what it means to be delivered from the very power and presence of sin in our lives. Eternal life starts here and now, for as the Holy Spirit works to sanctify us more and more every day, as we keep in step with Him by turning from our sin, we are being saved. 

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18

“Got Faith?”

If someone asked you to define faith, how would you reply? According to the dictionary, faith is “complete trust or confidence in someone or something” or “strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof”. Indeed, many people instinctively equate faith with religious conviction per the latter definition; whereas in reality, faith shows up in a variety of forms:

  • Optimism is a kind of faith, choosing to believe that things will turn out for the better in spite of your present circumstances.
  • Loyalty is another kind of faith, a willingness to “stick it out” when the going gets tough—not unlike the die-hard fan of a losing sports team.
  • Trusting someone to do what they promised is also an act of faith, with perhaps the most familiar example being the exchange of wedding vows.

Thus in spite of faith’s inextricable connection to spiritual matters, it is clear that to a certain extent, faith is simply part of the human experience. Everyone inevitably lives by beliefs in someone or something which are ultimately “unproveable”.

Unfortunately, it is precisely faith’s “unprovability” that leads many to conclude that faith is pure naiveté, a kind of blind trust that relies more upon emotions and feelings than upon evidence and reason. Indeed, faith is often characterized as being the opposite of facts and reason, prompting many to dismiss it as something that is inherently irrational and illogical. And while perhaps this is true in some cases—for we can get caught up in feelings and emotions that inspire an irrational kind of belief—there is clearly a difference between faith that is grounded in reality and that which is not.

As an example, consider the prospects of a 2024 Super Bowl victory from the standpoint of a Philadelphia Eagles fan versus a Houston Texans fan. Both may certainly hope for a championship next year, but only one has any reason to expect that it will actually occur.

This distinction between coherent and irrational faith is important, because many have bought into the notion that all faith is inherently irrational and subsequently little more than a feeling. Especially when it comes to matters of faith in God, far too many people assume that living by faith means believing in spite of the evidence rather than because of it! This, however, takes us into the realm of credulity, not Biblical faith, for the testimony of the Bible is that we have been given ample confirmation of God’s existence:

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
Romans 1:20

Granted, not everyone concludes that God exists when they look at creation, and in the final analysis belief in God is clearly an act of faith. Nevertheless, even atheists must admit that they too live by faith each and every day. For while theists cannot prove the existence of God in a scientific sense, neither can the atheist disprove His existence. Thus, even disbelief in God is ultimately an act of faith.

So contrary to popular opinion, faith is not something exclusively reserved for those who are “religious”—faith is inescapable. Furthermore, it should be understood that Biblical faith and reason are not contradictory, they are complementary. In other words, God gave us hearts and minds that are designed to work together, not against each other; faith is meant to take over where reason leaves off, not run in the opposite direction.

Accordingly, the real question is not “Got faith?” but rather “What are you trusting in?”

Can salvation be lost? (part 1)

When it comes to the subject of the security of the believer, there are almost as many viewpoints as there are denominations:

  • Some believe in what’s commonly referred to as “eternal security” — the absolute permanence of salvation for all those who have put their faith in Christ
  • Others believe that salvation can effectively be “lost”, meaning that salvation is essentially conditional
  • Still others claim that you can’t know if you’re truly numbered among the elect (i.e., “saved”) until God pronounces His verdict

You’d think that Scripture would be crystal clear on something so important, but what makes this question of “losing your salvation” so tricky is that adherents of every position can readily point to a number of texts that ostensibly prove their case. So how are we to know where we stand? Maybe more to the point…can we know at all? Fortunately, we are saved by faith in Christ and not by the depth of our understanding!

Regardless of where you personally stand on this question, though, I submit that this question of security provides Satan with one of the most potent weapons in his arsenal. For if you take the position that your salvation is a “done deal,” it is that much easier to be lulled into a spiritual stupor and feel no sense of urgency to seek God’s will in your life. In other words, your heart might be more inclined to wander because…“After all, you’re already ‘in’…right?” This lack of urgency is the antithesis of Paul’s admonition to “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12) and has the potential to lead the believer into perilous waters. Just consider how the risen Christ reacts to the church in Laodicea. (See Revelation 3:14-22)

If, on the other hand, you believe that you can have no assurance of salvation whatsoever, then Satan will use the resulting doubt and fear to demoralize and discourage you at every turn. With every errant word and deed, he will be right there ready to torment you with suggestions of worthlessness and doubt…“And you call yourself a Christian?” Over time he will steal your joy and paralyze your will, crippling both your faith and your witness.

So what’s the right answer? Are we “eternally secure” or not? Let’s see what Scripture has to say about it.

An Unseen War

Try to imagine what it must have been like for the people in Czechoslovakia and Poland who got caught up in the midst of what became World War II. They didn’t ask to be pawns in Hitler’s plans, yet once Hitler decided to move, it really didn’t matter if they wanted to be entangled in the war or not—like it or not, the fight was on. Their only choice was whether to side with Hitler or to fight him.

You and I find ourselves in a similar predicament at this very moment, having likewise been born into the midst of a war we didn’t start and probably would rather avoid. Unlike any war from our history books, though, this is an unseen, spiritual war that was started in ages past when an angel by the name of Lucifer defied his Creator. It has been raging ever since, and we have simply gotten caught in the middle. Hence, we too are faced with the question of where our allegiance lies, although our answer has eternal consequences: which side are we on?

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:12 (NLT)

The book of Daniel gives us a glimpse into this war, Satan himself alludes to it, and Paul clearly attests to its reality. Moreover, Scripture indicates that events on the earth are directly related to this war, even though the relationship is seldom clear until after the fact…and usually not without Divine explanation. Nonetheless, while the connection is usually hidden from our understanding, its horrific imprint upon the physical realm has been unmistakable.

Nowhere is this linkage more apparent than in the Biblical accounts themselves—the theme of warfare is everywhere. Israel fights to gain possession of the Promised Land under the leadership of Moses and Joshua; then Samson, Gideon, Deborah, and David all fight to keep it. The kings of Israel and Judah struggle to withstand the rise and fall of ancient empires; then upon returning from exile, Nehemiah and the Israelites rebuild the walls of Jerusalem with one hand holding onto their swords. And ultimately, in the final chapter of this war, Christ will wage one last battle as He destroys both sin and death.

What should become clear is this underlying principle: laying hold of God’s promises has never been easy because we are being actively opposed with every step! Whether it’s a matter of conquering the Promised Land or conquering an addiction, we are going to be tested repeatedly as we strive to walk with God in faith. Why do think Jesus tells us to persevere? He promises life, not that it’s going to come easily! In fact, Jesus guarantees just the opposite:

Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.
John 15:20

Doesn’t this coincide with your own experience? Have you ever made a decision to go deeper in your relationship with Christ, only to be revisited by a specter from your past? Have you ever vowed to give more to the work of God’s kingdom, only to be faced with a sudden financial crisis that tested your resolve? Has it ever been easy?

Indeed, once we have declared our allegiance to God, we should expect Satan’s assault on our faith to be relentless. Why? Because the last thing he wants is for our faith to become contagious! Satan works harder than ever to make us stumble when we become Christians, for if he can make us fall and then keep us down, our fruit starts to wither and rot as we wallow in our guilt. And if there’s one thing Satan doesn’t fear, it’s a Christian whose faith isn’t bearing any fruit.

In short, when you give yourself to Christ, get ready for a fight. Because whether we like it or not, we are in the midst of a war where souls are at stake…and both sides play for keeps. Fortunately, though, no matter how much Satan throws at us, Jesus assures us that if we stay close to Him we can never be taken prisoner by our adversary:

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.
John 10:28-29

Neither do we have to fear that Satan will mortally wound us in the battle and thereby separate us from Christ. Why not? He’s simply not able to:

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matthew 10:28

Thus, as soldiers in God’s army, the eternal life that we have been given in Christ cannot be taken away from us either now or in the future. Not only that, but there is no way for Satan or anyone else to invalidate the gift which Christ has secured once and for all. So along with Paul, we can affirm:

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39

Seems pretty straightforward, doesn’t it? Satan can’t “snatch” us away from our Father, he can’t undo the work of atonement that Christ has already accomplished, and so it would seem that those who claim the “eternal security of the believer” would have an open-and-shut-case. Right?

If only it were that simple…

Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:1-2

This warning to the church at Corinth, also penned by Paul, appears to blatantly contradict his declaration in Romans 8 that nothing can separate us from the love of God…which effectively brings us back to our original question: just how “permanent” is our standing in Christ? And in Part 2, we’ll continue to wrestle with this question of “losing one’s salvation” as we strive to “correctly handle the Word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)

Answers to Prayer

If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, chances are pretty good that you’ve run across the idea that God answers our prayers in one of three ways: “Yes”, “No”, and “Not yet…” This can be very encouraging when it seems like God is silent, because it gives us reason to hope that the answer to our prayer is indeed “Yes“…just “Not yet“. On the other hand, the same notion can become self-serving and even self-deceptive when we falsely presume that the answer to our prayer is still forthcoming…even though the answer is actually—and often clearly—”No.”

So what are we supposed to do if we can’t tell the difference? Or put differently, how can we tell the difference? After all, if the answer is truly “Not yet” then it would be a mistake to give up! Scripture repeatedly admonishes us to persevere in prayer, so we want to be sure that our faith doesn’t falter when we should actually be praying even more fervently for God to move…

  • Like Joseph surely did while he was enslaved and imprisoned in Egypt
  • Like Moses did repeatedly as he led the nation of Israel through the wilderness for 40 years
  • Like Joshua, Gideon, and Samson did as they delivered the Israelites from their enemies
  • Like David did when God punished Israel for David’s arrogance
  • Like Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Daniel did as they resisted pagan rulers and evil decrees
  • Like the apostles did when they were imprisoned and facing execution
  • And like countless others have done when they were out of options and desperate for God to intervene: perhaps your relatives, friends, co-workers, neighbors…maybe even yourself.

Conversely, if we persist in asking God for something when His answer is “No“, then no amount of perseverance is going to change His mind; moreover, He will likely bring increasingly painful circumstances into our lives to help us get the message. Not only do I have first-hand experience with this phenomenon, but it certainly parallels how God dealt with Israel’s insolence and disobedience:

6“I brought hunger to every city and famine to every town. But still you would not return to me,” says the Lord.
7 “I kept the rain from falling when your crops needed it the most. I sent rain on one town
    but withheld it from another. Rain fell on one field, while another field withered away.
8 People staggered from town to town looking for water, but there was never enough. But still you would not return to me,” says the Lord.
9 “I struck your farms and vineyards with blight and mildew. Locusts devoured all your fig and olive trees. But still you would not return to me,” says the Lord.
10 “I sent plagues on you like the plagues I sent on Egypt long ago. I killed your young men in war and led all your horses away. The stench of death filled the air! But still you would not return to me,” says the Lord.
11 “I destroyed some of your cities, as I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Those of you who survived were like charred sticks pulled from a fire. But still you would not return to me,” says the Lord.
12 “Therefore, I will bring upon you all the disasters I have announced. Prepare to meet your God in judgment, you people of Israel!”
Amos 4:6-12

The irony, of course, is that instead of helping us “get the message”, each additional setback typically prompts us to become more “creative” in how we ask God for the things that He is withholding. And just as with Israel’s fate, as we continue to cling to something that is outside of God’s will for us, the harder those lessons usually become.

So how do we strike the right balance when we pray? How do we ensure that we are rightly persevering in prayer without becoming demanding or presumptuous? Jesus’ own prayer in Gethsemane provides the answer, but we need to recognize how easy it is to end our prayers with “Not my will, but Yours” out of habit…rather than sincerity. We may even think that we mean it (I have certainly convinced myself that I meant it!) but whenever we choose to ignore what God is trying to tell us, we are actually keeping our hearts set upon something that God wants us to surrender.

In a word, by convincing ourselves that we must keep praying for something that continues to elude us, we are practicing idolatry. We are chasing after the things we want God to do for us, rather than chasing after God Himself, so as we obstinately persist in praying for something when His answer is “No“…

  • We eventually lose our joy and become discouraged, because we feel like God has abandoned us
  • Our worship becomes empty and lifeless, because any gratitude we should be feeling is eclipsed by our disappointment and resentment over what God isn’t giving us
  • Our love grows cold, because whenever we pursue idols—whether they are “other gods” or simply those things we value more than God Himself—we are willingly cutting ourselves off from the only true Source of blessing and love.

Indeed, there’s a reason that Solomon makes the following observation:

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.”
Proverbs 13:12

…and there’s nothing like a season of unanswered prayer to bring you to the very brink of despair. Sometimes that temporary “disconnect” is by God’s design, because He wants us to draw closer to Him and deepen our dependence upon Him as we wait for Him to act. But in my experience, more often than not our spiritual droughts are of our own making. They are a necessary and unavoidable consequence of our own idolatry, because the longer we hold onto the mistaken belief that God will eventually condescend to the selfish desires of our fallen hearts, the further away He feels.

Which brings me to “door number 4”. Because in addition to “Yes“, “No“, and “Not yet“, I believe there is another answer we should be listening for:

“Turn around…”

Sometimes we just need to let go of the sinful things we are pursuing. God is never going to answer self-serving requests with anything but “No“, so when we find ourselves in those prolonged seasons of Divine silence, we need to be honest with ourselves, admit that we’re heading in the wrong direction, and simply “turn around”. It’s the very definition of repentance, and as we relinquish our idols, we simultaneously re-establish our connection and intimacy with Him.

Other times, though, God tells us “No” not because what we want is inherently ungodly or somehow unrighteous, but because it’s less than what He truly wants to give us. Indeed, during those times when God’s continued silence leaves us feeling alone and abandoned, maybe what we really need to do is “turn around” and broaden our perspective. Because as long as our gaze is fixed on the door that remains closed, we fail to realize that God has already opened another door and is waiting for us to walk through it, instead.

So whenever our prayers start to seem futile, we would be wise to examine our hearts and repent if we have wandered from the truth. And when we start to become frustrated and discouraged, remember that it’s not enough for us to pray “Not my will, but Yours”; on the contrary, He’s waiting for us to seek Him out and receive the blessing He truly wants to give us! Because usually, when God starts to feel distant, chances are good that He’s a lot closer than you think. His silence isn’t because He is far from us; rather, we can’t hear Him because we’re simply looking in the wrong direction.

The Essence of Prayer

Prayer is one of those perennial topics that, while conceptually simple, can also be practically daunting…especially for new Christians. Because while prayer is really nothing more than talking with God, we dare not forget that we’re talking with God…

So how are we supposed to pray? What should we pray for? How do we know if God hears our prayers? Are there things we can’t pray about? Well, not surprisingly, Jesus actually had quite a bit to say about prayer:

How should we pray?
  • “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. And when you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.” (Matthew 6:5-7)
  • “But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.” (Mark 11:25)
What should we pray about?
  • “Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.” (Luke 6:28)
  • “So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” (Matthew 9:38)
  • “But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail.” (Luke 22:32)
  • “Pray that you will not give in to temptation.” (Luke 22:40)
How do we know if God hears our prayers?
  • ““And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Luke 11:9-10)
  • “One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.” (Luke 18:1)

These are some of the same questions that even the disciples apparently struggled with, which is why they appealed to Jesus on one occasion: “Lord, teach us to pray.” (Luke 11:1) In response to their request, Jesus gave them the so-called “Lord’s Prayer” which encapsulates the essence of His teaching on prayer. It’s a simple prayer that serves as a template for us to emulate in our own prayers, incorporating elements of adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication (or “A.C.T.S.”):

“Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:9-13)

Perhaps the most important principle of all, though, is epitomized in our Savior’s prayer on the eve of His crucifixion. As He is pleading with His Father to spare Him from His imminent suffering, He nonetheless subordinates His desire to His Father’s will:

“Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” (Luke 22:42)

Jesus’ appeal helps us resolve the final question from the list above: are there things we should not pray about. For although the short answer is clearly “yes” (e.g. praying for things that clearly contradict God’s revealed will and commandments) sometimes it is difficult to know if what we want is “crossing a line”…or not. But as we can see from Jesus’ prayer, as long as we are genuinely willing to accept His answer—even if it is “no”—we can always ask our Father for the desires of our heart…

This attitude should be the hallmark of every Christian, after all, for although we are able to approach God as a loving Father, and Jesus refers to the disciples as His friends, we need to remember that—above all else—we are still talking to The Lord. And if even Jesus had to subordinate His own desires to His Father’s will, then how much more do we need to follow His example!