The following excerpts have been edited and reformatted from chapter 5 of the book Salvation Is Forever, a recent reprint by Robert G. Gromacki from RBP on the doctrine of salvation. To order this book, see the bottom of page 8.
Salvation Is Forever
Chapter 5: What about These Problem Passages? The discussion over eternal security often boils down to personalities rather than principles. Too often, doctrines are developed by exegeting people instead of Scripture. People ask: “How could he be a genuine Christian and commit adultery?” Or, “How can she call herself a believer and yet spend most of her time with unsaved people?” It would be impossible to evaluate each particular situation. It is possible, however, to evaluate the lives of some of the real people with real problems found in Biblical accounts.
Old Testament Examples Lot was an enigma. He journeyed with Abraham from Ur to Haran and on to Canaan. He prospered materially through his association with his uncle (Gen. 13:5) and made an economically wise but spiritually poor choice when he decided to move his flocks near Sodom (Gen. 13:12, 13). Even Abraham’s intercession could not save this wicked city from divine judgment. Lot tried to protect the angelic visitors, yet he was willing to surrender his daughters for sexual abuse to the men of Sodom (Gen. 19:1–8). He had no moral influence over his sons-in-law, and possibly little over his wife. The end of his life was tragically marked by his intimate sexual relationships with his own daughters (although unknown to him because of his drunkenness). Could a person like Lot be saved? The spiritual condition of Lot may be implied in Abraham’s question, “Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?” (Gen. 18:23). God sent angels to Lot’s house to drag him out of the city. Peter calls Lot just, righteous (twice), and, indirectly, godly (2 Pet. 2:6–9). Lot’s inner man suffered in the midst of Sodom’s moral filth, and that is how any genuine believer would respond to that type of environment. Lot had no testimony, but he was still saved. He is a good example of an immature, carnal believer. Samson was another paradox. His extraordinary zeal for God was completely offset by his love for Philistine women. A Nazarite from conception, he served as a judge over Israel for twenty years (Judg. 13:5; 15:20). When the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, he was endued with unusual physical strength. After Samson’s famous hair was cut, he became weak, but “he [knew] not that the Lord was departed from him” (16:20). How was the Lord departed from him? Some would say that Samson lost
his salvation because he revealed his secret to Delilah. However, there is no mention of that possibility in this context. In the Old Testament period, the Holy Spirit came upon a believer so that the believer could perform an unusual task for God. He came upon the craftsmen so that they might construct the tabernacle according to God’s specifications (Exod. 31:2–5). He came upon Gideon so that he might lead the Israelites to military victory over the Midianites (Judg. 6:34). The Holy Spirit could also leave a person at will, rendering that person incapable of what he had previously done under the enabling of the Spirit. The coming and going of the Spirit in the pre-Calvary period should not be identified or confused with the gaining and losing of one’s salvation. Samson prayed, “O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes” (Judg. 16:28). He did not pray for the restoration of his salvation; he had never lost it. He prayed for the return of unusual physical strength. God answered that prayer, and Samson pushed aside the support pillars. Samson is listed in the “hall of faith” (Heb. 11:32). Throughout his life he was marked by a firm allegiance to the God of Israel. He believed in God and in His enabling, although he often disobeyed His written precepts. Many have wondered about Saul, the first king of Israel. If he was a believer, how can his behavior be explained? When Samuel anointed Saul with oil, he said, “Is it not because the Lord hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?” (1 Sam. 10:1). Would God appoint Samuel to anoint an unsaved man over Israel? Certainly not! When Israel did have wicked kings, they ruled in succession of their fathers, not by direct appointment. Samuel said to Saul, “And the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with [the prophets], and shalt be turned into another man” (10:6). Does the Spirit of the Lord come upon unsaved people? Hardly! Saul was later accompanied by “a band of men, whose hearts God had touched” (10:26). Would such people have identified themselves with an unregenerate royal aspirant? Saul made three errors of judgment in the early years of his reign. In his impatience, he presumed to offer a sacrifice to God in the absence of a priest (13:8–12). He imposed a prohibition of
I
JUNE 2007
food upon his armies and even planned to kill Jonathan, his son, because, not knowing the decree, Jonathan ate food (14:24–30). [Saul] failed to kill all of the Amalekites and their flocks (15:1– 23). His punishment for this triple error was severe. Samuel announced to him, “Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king” (15:23). The writer observed, “But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him” (16:14). Did Saul lose his salvation? No! But his usefulness was over, and he no longer had divine enabling. Depression and paranoia seemed to possess him (perhaps the meaning of the “evil spirit from the Lord”). Saul’s resistance to the revealed will of God caused him to take out his antagonism upon God’s anointed, David (16:14—27:12). He feared for his own life, especially in conflicts with the Philistines, and even consulted a witch about the outcome of a future battle (28:3–16). He later died in that battle (31:3–6). David sang, “Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions” (2 Sam. 1:23). This funeral eulogy reveals that David regarded them as believers. Saul is an example of a child of God who is both carnal and immature. He lost his life prematurely because he would not conform to the revealed will of the Lord.
New Testament Example The New Testament also has some problem characters. Could Judas be an apostle and yet not be saved? Did he lose his salvation by his act of betrayal? It was within the divine will that among the twelve apostles, a materially minded, unsaved person would provide the means of arrest. Jesus said, “Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?” (John 6:70). When Jesus announced His betrayal to His disciples, no one suspected Judas. But Jesus knew his heart. At the washing of the disciples’ feet, Jesus said, “He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean” (John 13:10, 11). Judas had never experienced the complete washing of regeneration (Titus 3:5). At the supper table, Satan entered into the body of Judas (John 13:27). Nowhere in the Scripture is it taught that
a believer can be indwelt by Satan or a fallen angel. Jesus called Judas “the son of perdition” (John 17:12). This title is used elsewhere only of the Antichrist (2 Thess. 2:3), and no one would argue for that person’s salvation. In fact, because of this double usage, some have argued that the Antichrist will be Judas, raised from the dead. The “repentance” of Judas, written in Matthew 27:3–5, has caused some perplexity. What kind of repentance was this? This particular Greek word indicates an emotional regret (metamelomai), not a repentance of moral and spiritual guilt (metanoeo). Judas knew that Jesus was not worthy of death. He tried to reverse the trial action by returning the money, but it was too late. In remorse, he hanged himself. If this had been genuine repentance, When the disciples prayed about the appointment of the twelfth apostle, they said, “Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place” (Acts 1:24, 25). Judas fell from the apostleship, not from the salvation he never had. There is a vast difference. Judas is a perfect example of those unsaved Christian workers mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 7:21–23. Judas had performed a ministry for Christ, but he did not know Christ as his Savior from sin. He was a totally unsaved man, from the beginning to the end.
Questions for Thought and Discussion 1. What passages of Scripture on eternal security perplex you? How can you discern their true meaning? What outside sources would be helpful to you? 2. Which of these men do you expect to meet in Heaven: Cain, Esau, David, Ananias, Demas? What is the basis for your answer? 3. Why do we sometimes doubt the salvation of people we know? What role does outward appearance play in our judgment? The King James Version is used where Scripture is quoted in this article.
Dr. Gromacki is distinguished professor emeritus of Bible and Greek at Cedarville University. He is the author of fifteen books and more than one hundred articles. He and his wife, Gloria, have two children and six grandchildren.
Can a saved person ever become lost? A new edition of a Classic! In the frank and readable style of an experienced Bible teacher, Dr. Robert Gromacki answers the universal question, Can a saved person ever become lost? This new edition contains all of the original content and also includes discussion questions for each chapter.
To learn more, visit www.regularbaptistpress.org I
The Baptist Bulletin