Part 3 – The Practical Effects of Teaching Eternal Security for Believers

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called The Believers Eternal Security.

Below are 6 cases in which Anti-security may seem to be the rule, but it is not.

1. Many Christians misapply verses applying to some other dispensation than “the grace of God.”

Many of the warnings from the Old Testament and four gospels have to do not with soul salvation but rather with the physical consequences of Israel breaking “the law” that was given to Israel only (cf. Ezekiel 33:13). The curse of a broken law brought physical death upon many who were no doubt saved people.

We as grace believers today die physically only because of the natural course of sin in our flesh bodies, which “bringeth forth death” (1Cor. 15:56, Rom. 8:3b). That does Not mean that they are not saved. Other warnings, such as Matt. 18:23-35; 24:13; 25:30; etc., refer to a time to come after today’s “church, which is His body” has been raptured, taken out of the world.

2. They misapply verses applying to UNregenerate teachers of the “last day” (1 Tim. 4:1, 2; 2 Pet. 2:1-22; Jude 17-19; etc.). Churches today are filled with such deceived preachers and teachers, who never were saved themselves.

3. They misapply verses applying to grace believers Rewards in heaven and Not to Salvation (1 Cor. 3:11-15; 9:24-27; 2 Cor. 5:9,10; Col. 3:24-25). Today Salvation Is Entirely Apart from All of Man’s Good Works (cf. Eph. 2:8-9). Salvation is by grace, not by good works (Rom. 11:6). The Rewards to be given in heaven are given for faithfulness after we are saved.

“Let no man beguile [Grk., katabrabeuo, defraud] you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,” (Colossians 2:18 (KJV)

4. They often misapply verses that simply warn Believers of the loss of the blessings of living in union with Christ. Believers are in danger of losing many blessings which the Lord has provided for those who live in union with Christ, by faith. Any sin, whether a lack of trust in the Lord, neglect of the wise instruction of Word of God, rebellious wrong choices, is likely to result in loss of joy, peace, rest, loss of power, loss of fruitfulness, loss of fellowship, and loss of reward – but Never The Loss of Salvation. Such warnings are seen here, Colossians 2:4, 8, 18, 1Cor. 3:14.

God’s method for dealing with failures on the part of His own people of Israel was to chasten them, as seen in Heb.12:5-11, which obviously is written to Israel, not “the body of Christ.” God today during this age of “the grace of God” does not chasten the grace believer, rather … God simply lets the believer suffer the earthly consequences of their own foolish choicesfor their learning. This Paul refers to assowing and reaping.’

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption [Grk., phthora, ruin]; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap [well of] life everlasting. (Galatians 6:7-8)

5. They misapply the Romans 11:21 Olive Tree verses that ‘Warns Unbelieving Gentiles.’

“For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee [Gentiles]. Romans 11:21

This is not a warning lest God would cast away some of His own saints, but he is warning the Gentiles in general, who at present during this age of grace have a place of Great Spiritual Privilege, warning that the Unbelieving Gentiles continued unbelief will cause them to be “cast out” … just as God cast out the unbelieving nation of Israel (Rom. 11:15). The Israelites before this time were the branches of the good olive tree, but that Did Not Mean That Every Israelite Was Saved; for many were Christ Rejecters and because of that they were broken off.

The nations (i.e., all the Gentiles) have collectively been grafted in, but the Gentiles as such are Not Saved Until They Believe. This today is a Gentile age, just as the earlier age was a Jewish age in which Not All Jews Believed. Yet the day is coming at the rapture when the nations (i.e.., the Gentiles) will be broken off and Israel will be restored to her former position of Great Spiritual Privilege.

Paul is not speaking of personal salvation in Rom. 11:21. If Paul were here speaking of personal salvation, we would be forced to conclude that the natural branches of Israel which were broken off included men like Judas Iscariot and that the day that is coming Judas is to be resaved and grafted back into the tree that would be ridiculous. This Olive Tree passage of Romans 11:21 is NOT dealing with Personal Salvation, but rather with nationalprivilege giving opportunity To Receive Salvation’ … but many will Not believe to receive salvation.

6. They misapply verses that serve to prove one’s Christian profession by fruit-bearing (John 8:31; 15:6; 1 Cor. 15:1, 2; Heb. 3:6,14; James 2:14-26; 2 Pet. 1:10; Col. 1:23).

The Bible makes clear that if there has been the work of regeneration in the heart there is bound to be a manifestation of that new divine eternal life, just as surely as the newborn babe will cry or give some other indication that it is alive.

If such passages as Heb. 6:4-6; 10:26-27; Col. 1:21-23, Gal. 5:4; John 15:6, 31 and Matt. 24:13 are studied Dispensationally and grammatically in their context, it will be seen that they do not militate in any way against the truth that all true believers actually do have eternal life as a present and eternal possessioneven while they are immature.