James M. Leonard
Arminian Baptist

http://jmleonardfamily.googlepages.com/eternalsecurityandexegeticaloverv...

This post attempts to put the Calvinistic “never really saved to begin with” view of apostasy to the test when reading select passages relevant to the topic of apostasy. The results speak for themselves.

“I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. [proving that he was never in Christ to begin with, making it impossible to 'remain' in Him or be 'cut off' from Him] Jn. 15:3-6

The following link is to an article by James M. Leonard, "Arminian Baptist," who argues from the overall text of Hebrews for the actual possibility of believers leaving their faith.

http://jmleonardfamily.googlepages.com/eternalsecurityandexegeticaloverv...

For the rest of the series, see 5/6/2008-5/9/288, 5/12/2008-5/16/2008, 6/16/2008, 7/23/2008

Having examined the primary passages that teach apostasy we now examine the passages that the advocates of unconditional eternal security believe clearly support their doctrine:

John 10:27-29

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”

Mr. Hamilton discusses whether a believer can accidentally commit the unpardonable sin.
Please click on the attachment to view "Can a Person Accidentally Commit the Unpardonable Sin?"

In this article Mr. Hamilton reexamines this controversial verse to discover whether a person can regain his salvation after losing it.

Please click on the attachment to view Robert Hamilton's "Does Hebrews 6:6 Teach that Apostasy is Without Remedy?"

Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. -Hebrews 10:22-23

Let's take a look at some of the different views on the possibility of losing salvation. Before looking at each view it helpful to note how we answer the following two questions:

1) How is Salvation "gained"? By works, by faith, or by decree?
2) How is Salvation "kept"?, By works, by faith, or by decree?

I'm going to propose 5 common views, that come about through the way we answer these two questions.

It is a popular teaching today that once someone becomes a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, he or she will never cease to be God’s child regardless of behavior and continuance in saving faith.

In order to express this teaching, it is reasoned from human experience to that which is spiritual and a strong distinction is made between “fellowship” and “relationship”. It is said that a believer can harm and even sever one’s fellowship with God while somehow maintaining a saving relationship. The only way to express this concept is through human analogy.

Neil T. Anderson gives us the basis of this argumentation in Stomping Out the Darkness, co-authored by Dave Park. Under the heading: There’s A Difference Between Relationship and Fellowship, Anderson writes…

For the rest of the series, see 5/6/2008-5/9/288, 5/12/2008-5/16/2008, 6/16/2008

Is Restoration Really Impossible?

After studying the warning passages in Hebrews the question naturally arises: can an apostate ever be restored again to salvation? Is the repudiation of saving faith irrevocable and the condition of the apostate permanent?

Please click on the attachment to view Marshall, I. Howard. "The Problem of Apostasy in New Tesament Theology", published as an epilogue to Marshall, I. Howard. Kept by the Power of God: A Study of Perseverance and falling Away (Carlisle: Paternoster, 1995). The article itself originally appeared in a Festschrift for Dale Moody, edited by R.L. Perkins and published by Mercer Press in 1987. It appeared again in a book of a collection of essays by Marshall entitled Jesus the Saviour (IVP/SPCK, 1990). Finally, it was added as an epilogue to the 1995 version of Kept by the Power of God, a book that was originally published by Epworth in 1969, and then by Bethany in 1975, and is now avaialble from Paternoster.

This article is used by permission of the copyright owner.

Some Calvinists have argued that the frequent references to the wandering Israelites in the desert suggest that the writer of Hebrews is not addressing apostasy from true faith. It is assumed that the wandering generation who failed to enter the Promised Land never had a saving faith relationship with the Lord. Since the writer of Hebrews uses the wandering generation as an example or object lesson for the situation being addressed among his readers, it is argued that this indicates that he does not consider those he warns of apostasy to be truly regenerated believers. In other words, if we have good reason to doubt that the wilderness generation of Israelites who failed to enter the Promised Land was saved, then we have reason to doubt that those the writer of Hebrews warns, while holding up those Israelites as an example, were really saved either. I believe this approach fails for the following reasons:

Whose Hearts Were in Danger of Being Hardened?

Perseverance

Picirilli, Robert. "The Possibility of Apostasy"

Picirilli, Robert. "The Possibility of Apostasy"

Calvinism; General; Perseverance

Please click on the attachment to view McKnight, Scot. "Blog Posts on Post-Calvinism"

This file is a collection of blog posts made by distnguished New Testament scholar Scot McKnight at his blog, Jesus Creed