22 Oct '15 00:31>1 edit
25 Reasons Why Salvation Is Permanent For Christians
There is no subject in Scripture that has more doctrinal and practical importance than that of “salvation.” It is a matter of life and death, both literally and figuratively, because both the quality of our life now and everlasting life are at stake. Unfortunately, Christendom is divided over many aspects of the salvation offered in Christ, most notably whether or not it can be lost because a Christian failed to continue to have faith, or sinned. What follows are the main reasons why we have concluded that salvation is permanent for Christians, and that once acquired by faith in Christ it cannot be lost, forfeited or nullified by subsequent behaviors, attitudes or events.
The following is 25 reasons why salvation is permanent for Christians:
1. The Greek word translated “salvation” (soteria) denotes “deliverance and preservation”; “Safety, preservation from danger or destruction. It is contrasted with death (2 Cor. 7:10) and destruction (Phil. 1:28)”. It also means “wholeness” or “health.” Fundamentally, we are saved from two things: sin and death. We are saved from sin and death by justification and the corresponding gift of everlasting life.
Therefore we define “salvation” as a state of being saved, rescued or delivered from something that threatens death or destruction, that is, being brought to a place of safety. The Hebrew word for “salvation” also means a place of safety (yasha). Logically, if we are still in jeopardy of somehow losing this salvation, we are not in a very “safe” place.
2. “Justification” is the judicial act of God whereby the sinner is declared free from the penalty of sin by his faith in the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ. This act is done “freely (i.e., “without a cause) by His grace (Rom. 3:24). Therefore our faith does not cause God to grant us salvation, but provides a condition upon which He can do His work. Without some condition for us to meet, we could not choose to receive it. In His grace and mercy, God chose faith (trust), the simplest act of the human mind.
It is therefore by His work, not ours, that we are made righteous, which is the state of being justified. We receive this status by grace through faith in His work on our behalf. Since our works did not earn for us this status, our works or lack of works cannot negate it either, once we have received it. It is not logical to argue that what is acquired exclusively by the gracious work of another and deposited to our account can be negated by our subsequent works or lack of works.
3. Faith is not works. Works are not faith. “Faith” is distinguishable from “faithfulness.” To continue to have faith is “faithfulness,” and this is different than one-time faith (trust). Faithfulness consists of works, and is itself a work. If justification requires continued faith, then there is work involved in maintaining a state of justification. This negates the fact that justification comes to us simply by trusting in Christ’s work on our behalf.
There is no subject in Scripture that has more doctrinal and practical importance than that of “salvation.” It is a matter of life and death, both literally and figuratively, because both the quality of our life now and everlasting life are at stake. Unfortunately, Christendom is divided over many aspects of the salvation offered in Christ, most notably whether or not it can be lost because a Christian failed to continue to have faith, or sinned. What follows are the main reasons why we have concluded that salvation is permanent for Christians, and that once acquired by faith in Christ it cannot be lost, forfeited or nullified by subsequent behaviors, attitudes or events.
The following is 25 reasons why salvation is permanent for Christians:
1. The Greek word translated “salvation” (soteria) denotes “deliverance and preservation”; “Safety, preservation from danger or destruction. It is contrasted with death (2 Cor. 7:10) and destruction (Phil. 1:28)”. It also means “wholeness” or “health.” Fundamentally, we are saved from two things: sin and death. We are saved from sin and death by justification and the corresponding gift of everlasting life.
Therefore we define “salvation” as a state of being saved, rescued or delivered from something that threatens death or destruction, that is, being brought to a place of safety. The Hebrew word for “salvation” also means a place of safety (yasha). Logically, if we are still in jeopardy of somehow losing this salvation, we are not in a very “safe” place.
2. “Justification” is the judicial act of God whereby the sinner is declared free from the penalty of sin by his faith in the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ. This act is done “freely (i.e., “without a cause) by His grace (Rom. 3:24). Therefore our faith does not cause God to grant us salvation, but provides a condition upon which He can do His work. Without some condition for us to meet, we could not choose to receive it. In His grace and mercy, God chose faith (trust), the simplest act of the human mind.
It is therefore by His work, not ours, that we are made righteous, which is the state of being justified. We receive this status by grace through faith in His work on our behalf. Since our works did not earn for us this status, our works or lack of works cannot negate it either, once we have received it. It is not logical to argue that what is acquired exclusively by the gracious work of another and deposited to our account can be negated by our subsequent works or lack of works.
3. Faith is not works. Works are not faith. “Faith” is distinguishable from “faithfulness.” To continue to have faith is “faithfulness,” and this is different than one-time faith (trust). Faithfulness consists of works, and is itself a work. If justification requires continued faith, then there is work involved in maintaining a state of justification. This negates the fact that justification comes to us simply by trusting in Christ’s work on our behalf.