Eternal Life!
Yes, you can have eternal life! Abundant life! A full life!
I am going to post on this blog a little pamphlet that Rose and I worked on laboriously, the original title was Eternal Security, but I have changed it to Eternal Life for two reasons. First, because eternal security is over used and second, because eternal life is the biblical term. “Eternal life” is used 26 times in the KJV; the NIV uses the term 42 times.
Eternal Life
Here is the issue, just to get us thinking. Can someone who is saved become unsaved? That is, can a child of God become separated from the life that was formed in ones heart because of Jesus Christ, by the regeneration of the Holy Spirit, through the seed of faith, directed by the God the Father? That is, does the Bible teach, imply, or even allude to the elect of God (saved) becoming lost (unsaved), cast into the lake of fire (Hell) forever?
The question of eternal life has been raised and debated by many good Christians on both sides of the fence down through the ages. Bible students, teachers, theologians, and preachers can be found throughout church history raising this very issue. This publication is written with the prayer that those who are still “on the fence” can get their feet down on solid biblical ground, free from the confusion that can cloud this topic.
Think about this too:
Nearly everyone who has been born again has, at one time or another questioned whether God has really saved them. These questions of doubt are usually raised in our spiritually low times. Then Satan comes along in an attempt to amplify our feelings of estrangement from God our Father. Sin can seem so heavy that the Christian forgets the cleansing and renewing power referred to in God’s Word: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1: 9 KJV) Then God can, “Restore to [us] the joy of [our] salvation and grant [us] a willing spirit, to sustain [us].” (Psalms 51:12).
I am going to post on this blog a little pamphlet that Rose and I worked on laboriously, the original title was Eternal Security, but I have changed it to Eternal Life for two reasons. First, because eternal security is over used and second, because eternal life is the biblical term. “Eternal life” is used 26 times in the KJV; the NIV uses the term 42 times.
Eternal Life
Here is the issue, just to get us thinking. Can someone who is saved become unsaved? That is, can a child of God become separated from the life that was formed in ones heart because of Jesus Christ, by the regeneration of the Holy Spirit, through the seed of faith, directed by the God the Father? That is, does the Bible teach, imply, or even allude to the elect of God (saved) becoming lost (unsaved), cast into the lake of fire (Hell) forever?
The question of eternal life has been raised and debated by many good Christians on both sides of the fence down through the ages. Bible students, teachers, theologians, and preachers can be found throughout church history raising this very issue. This publication is written with the prayer that those who are still “on the fence” can get their feet down on solid biblical ground, free from the confusion that can cloud this topic.
Think about this too:
Nearly everyone who has been born again has, at one time or another questioned whether God has really saved them. These questions of doubt are usually raised in our spiritually low times. Then Satan comes along in an attempt to amplify our feelings of estrangement from God our Father. Sin can seem so heavy that the Christian forgets the cleansing and renewing power referred to in God’s Word: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1: 9 KJV) Then God can, “Restore to [us] the joy of [our] salvation and grant [us] a willing spirit, to sustain [us].” (Psalms 51:12).
posted by J. Wendell at 7:15 AM
3 Comments:
Do you agree with Zane Hodges and Bob Wilkin that eternal security is not merely a secondary issue, but is fundamental to the Gospel, entailing that if a person has never believed in eternal security, they have never believed in the true Gospel and are thus lost?
By
Matthew Celestine, at 9/6/06 3:59 AM
DF~
I am not sure I follow that idea at all, but as this series continues I do think you will have a better understanding of my understanding.
Let me give you a better answer: If one is born (again) into God’s family that one is my brother or sister with all the faults and misunderstandings that one may have (and all the misgivings I do have). If they are more Calvinistic than myself or less (or non-) Calvinistic than myself, ecumenical or more separatist, if they are charismatic or cessationist, more dispensational or reformed; in Christ we are one body. Now that does not mean we go out and plant churches together, or gather with apostates for a international men’s conference, or come together for the gospel with pedo-baptists, it does mean that all who are born again have eternal life weather or not they believe it.
Your question seems to go to the root of my Soteriological understanding, and I do not have time to develop it or give it a proper treatment here, I do hope to post on it in more detail one day if God permits, in the mean time I hope the above statement is helpful.
By
J. Wendell, at 9/6/06 7:06 AM
Well, I would argue that if a person has not believed in eternal security, she does not believe in Christ's promise and she believes that she needs to add her own perserverance to Christ's work.
God Bless
Matthew
By
Matthew Celestine, at 9/6/06 11:09 AM
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