Eternal Security: The Age Old Debate

Eternal Security: The Age Old Debate

Many believers, and unbelievers, differ in their views of eternal security, or “once saved always saved.” In fact, differing opinions on this subject were and are a part of the Calvinist-Armenian debate that began in the early 17^th century and continues on today. While the following topics are not likely to end this debate nor are an exhaustive covering of the issue, a logical look at justification, regeneration, and identification shows the believer eternally secure based on the Word of God.

An understanding of justification is needed in order to understand the validity of the doctrine of eternal security. Theologically, to justify means to declare righteous or right. Biblically, this definition implies that the one who was justified is not righteous on his or her own and must receive the righteousness of another who is righteous. Since Romans 3:10 clearly states, “There is none righteous, not even one,” (NASB) that means the righteousness received belongs to God. Additionally, this righteousness is not merited by the individual in any way (Ephesians 2:8). So while this righteousness is imputed to the individual, it is still God’s righteousness. Therefore, it stands to reason that since the individual did nothing to earn the righteousness and the righteousness belongs to God, the individual can also do nothing to lose this righteousness, resulting in eternal security. Specifically, justification results in eternal security for three reasons: sin is no longer imputed to the believer, justification results in salvation from future wrath, and justification results in glorification. Righteousness and sin are opposites; they cannot inhabit the same place at the same time. So when righteousness was imputed, sin was no longer imputed, and since the Lord will no longer take sin into account in this individual (Romans 4:7-8), there is no basis for the individual to lose what he or she received when justified. This amnesty does not just refer to past sins, but present and future sins as well. Romans 5:9 explains that those justified shall be (future tense) saved from the wrath of God. After all, all of the sins of present day believers were future at the time of Christ’s death on the cross. Happily, justification does not end with salvation from wrath. It goes even further to result in glorification. God has promised to glorify those He justified (Romans 8:30). This promise should affirm the doctrine of eternal security because glorification involves eternity with God, and God is always true to His word. Failing to keep His promise would be inconsistent with His character.

Righteousness, however, means nothing without life. Ephesians 2:1 asserts, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins.” An individual must first be brought to life before being able to rest in the security of eternal life. This is where regeneration comes in. Regeneration literally means to be brought to life and can be seen in a continued reading of Ephesians 2 – “even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ…” (2:5, NASB). In addition to being justified, the individual is also regenerated at the point of salvation. Being given life in and of itself would not validate the doctrine of eternal security but being given an entirely new and eternal life would. II Corinthians 5:17 confirms that this life is new: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (NASB). And the promise that this life is eternal is confirmed throughout the Gospel of John (3:16, 36; 5:24; 4:14). A righteous God would not be able to promise new life for eternity if it was something that could be lost.

In addition to understanding both justification and regeneration, it is also important to understand identification when it comes to the matter of eternal security. The psychological definition of the word, identification, is a process by which one ascribes to oneself the qualities or characteristics of another person. The difference between the psychological definition and the Biblical definition is that Biblically the one receiving the identity is not doing the ascribing, God is. God has taken and applied the work of Christ to the believer. In other words, God has placed the believer into the identity of Christ. Colossians 3:3 states this idea in this way: “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (NASB). The believer has a new life in Christ because God has legally applied Christ’s death to the individual’s sinful self in order to free him or her from sin (Romans 6), the Law (Romans 7:1-6), and the world (Galatians 6:14) and made him or her able to walk in resurrection power (Romans 6:11, 13). Since the believer has died with Christ in order to receive these freedoms, the believer will also live with Christ. II Timothy 2:11 even goes so far as to say that it is a “trustworthy statement” (NASB). Personally, I have never heard anyone question the eternal security of Jesus Christ. And once an individual dies with Him (is saved through faith in Jesus Christ), he or she becomes united to Him (Romans 6:5). Therefore, if the eternity of Jesus Christ is secure, the eternity of the one united to Him is also secure.

With justification, regeneration, and identification in mind, eternal security comes down to two assurances: promise and position. God has promised that the life received by the believer is eternal and that justified believers will be glorified, an act involving eternity. Also, at the point of salvation the believer is identified with Christ, placed in His position. Since God is always true to His word and Christ’s eternity is secure, the believer can rest assured in his or her own eternal security.