Post by Dr James Ach on Dec 7, 2014 23:04:00 GMT 3
From Jesus Is Saviour's David Stewart article, John Calvin Exposed
On the Perseverance of the Saints
Contrary to what most people think, John Calvin didn't teach eternal security at all. Calvin insisted that believers must persevere in faith if they are to remain in grace. He believed that the elect will persevere in faith and continue in grace to ultimate final salvation. These damnable heresies are far from the teachings of the Bible. The very fact that Calvinism requires a saint to "persevere" to the end is damnable heresy. Eternal security is the preservation of the saints, NOT the perseverance of the saints. To "persevere" is works salvation. The cult of Seventh-Day Adventism similarly teaches that a person cannot KNOW they're saved until the final judgment. Biblical salvation is instant and forever, NOT pending of anything. Sadly, even the Salvation Army teaches this damnable heresy (belief # 9 on their official statement of faith).
This is a dangerous heresy because it eliminates the FREE GIFT of eternal life. A gift is completely free with NO strings attached. There is NO delay period, or testing period before we get it. We receive eternal life the very moment we trust Christ as our Personal Saviour to forgive our sins. Romans 5:15 and Romans 6:23 declare that eternal life is a "gift" from God. Romans 5:15 even calls it a "free gift." Man's works and efforts have absolutely NOTHING to do with God's salvation. Whether a believer continues in the faith is irrelevant. Either they are saved and can never lose it, or else they aren't saved now and never had it to begin with. You cannot undo your spiritual birth, just as you cannot undo your physical birth. John 3:16 is so clear on the matter of salvation, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." If a lost sinner simply believes upon Christ, they will never perish.
Arminius didn't really teach anything, he simply refuted the heresies of Calvinism. Although I do agree with the first four refutes of Calvinism by Arminius, I certainly cannot accept his heresy that the believer can lose salvation. Calvin wasn't correct on this issue either. Although I DO agree that a believer can never lose their salvation, NO matter what depth of sin they choose to go into, I do NOT accept the unbiblical heresy by Calvin that we should "persevere" to the end to be saved. In Calvin's commentary on 1st John 3:9, he uses the word "perseverance", clearly stating:
"the hearts of the godly are so effectually governed by the Spirit of God, that through an inflexible disposition they follow his guidance." (John Calvin)
"the power of the Spirit is so effectual, that it necessarily retains us in continual obedience to righteousness." (John Calvin)
This is not eternal security. Rather Perseverance of the Saints is a perseverance in a behavior consistent with that expected of a child of God. However, Calvin failed to accept the FACT that believers DO sin, sometimes horribly so. Sometimes believers go into a life of sin and never get right with God. Their fellowship with God is broken, but their relationship is not. David committed adultery and then killed the woman's husband. David was unrepentant for one year. If David would have died in that unrepentant state, he would have gone straight to Heaven, NOT Hell as Calvin taught. Fortunately for David, he did repent. However, Solomon lived a wicked life of rebellion against God until the end. Calvin's teachings are nonsense.
Calvin's teachings are indeed a form of Lordship Salvation. There is much confusion on the last point of Calvinism. Some people believe that Calvin taught unconditional eternal security. Others believe that Calvin taught eternal security conditioned upon the perseverance of the believer. Clearly, from Calvin's own statements, he believed in Lordship Salvation, that a believer cannot simply trust Christ to be saved, but that a life of commitment and perseverance was also necessary as proof of conversion. These are damnable heresies. Although the Bible does teach that a man becomes a new creature in Christ when he is regenerated at Salvation, we cannot always judge that salvation from the outward appearance. Lot by all appearances was an unsaved heathen, but God called Him a righteous man (2nd peter 2:7). There are many believers who willfully live in sin, but that DOESN'T mean that they aren't saved. The critics who deny this truth are adding works to salvation.
On the Perseverance of the Saints
Contrary to what most people think, John Calvin didn't teach eternal security at all. Calvin insisted that believers must persevere in faith if they are to remain in grace. He believed that the elect will persevere in faith and continue in grace to ultimate final salvation. These damnable heresies are far from the teachings of the Bible. The very fact that Calvinism requires a saint to "persevere" to the end is damnable heresy. Eternal security is the preservation of the saints, NOT the perseverance of the saints. To "persevere" is works salvation. The cult of Seventh-Day Adventism similarly teaches that a person cannot KNOW they're saved until the final judgment. Biblical salvation is instant and forever, NOT pending of anything. Sadly, even the Salvation Army teaches this damnable heresy (belief # 9 on their official statement of faith).
This is a dangerous heresy because it eliminates the FREE GIFT of eternal life. A gift is completely free with NO strings attached. There is NO delay period, or testing period before we get it. We receive eternal life the very moment we trust Christ as our Personal Saviour to forgive our sins. Romans 5:15 and Romans 6:23 declare that eternal life is a "gift" from God. Romans 5:15 even calls it a "free gift." Man's works and efforts have absolutely NOTHING to do with God's salvation. Whether a believer continues in the faith is irrelevant. Either they are saved and can never lose it, or else they aren't saved now and never had it to begin with. You cannot undo your spiritual birth, just as you cannot undo your physical birth. John 3:16 is so clear on the matter of salvation, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." If a lost sinner simply believes upon Christ, they will never perish.
Arminius didn't really teach anything, he simply refuted the heresies of Calvinism. Although I do agree with the first four refutes of Calvinism by Arminius, I certainly cannot accept his heresy that the believer can lose salvation. Calvin wasn't correct on this issue either. Although I DO agree that a believer can never lose their salvation, NO matter what depth of sin they choose to go into, I do NOT accept the unbiblical heresy by Calvin that we should "persevere" to the end to be saved. In Calvin's commentary on 1st John 3:9, he uses the word "perseverance", clearly stating:
"the hearts of the godly are so effectually governed by the Spirit of God, that through an inflexible disposition they follow his guidance." (John Calvin)
"the power of the Spirit is so effectual, that it necessarily retains us in continual obedience to righteousness." (John Calvin)
This is not eternal security. Rather Perseverance of the Saints is a perseverance in a behavior consistent with that expected of a child of God. However, Calvin failed to accept the FACT that believers DO sin, sometimes horribly so. Sometimes believers go into a life of sin and never get right with God. Their fellowship with God is broken, but their relationship is not. David committed adultery and then killed the woman's husband. David was unrepentant for one year. If David would have died in that unrepentant state, he would have gone straight to Heaven, NOT Hell as Calvin taught. Fortunately for David, he did repent. However, Solomon lived a wicked life of rebellion against God until the end. Calvin's teachings are nonsense.
Calvin's teachings are indeed a form of Lordship Salvation. There is much confusion on the last point of Calvinism. Some people believe that Calvin taught unconditional eternal security. Others believe that Calvin taught eternal security conditioned upon the perseverance of the believer. Clearly, from Calvin's own statements, he believed in Lordship Salvation, that a believer cannot simply trust Christ to be saved, but that a life of commitment and perseverance was also necessary as proof of conversion. These are damnable heresies. Although the Bible does teach that a man becomes a new creature in Christ when he is regenerated at Salvation, we cannot always judge that salvation from the outward appearance. Lot by all appearances was an unsaved heathen, but God called Him a righteous man (2nd peter 2:7). There are many believers who willfully live in sin, but that DOESN'T mean that they aren't saved. The critics who deny this truth are adding works to salvation.