The teachings of the historic Adventist church as found in the writings of Ellen White have fundamentally obscured the biblical gospel. At its most basic level, the historic Adventist doctrine of justification is ironically in agreement with the teachings of the Roman Catholic church. Ellen White said “When it is in the heart to obey God, when efforts are put forth to this end, Jesus accepts this disposition and effort as man’s best service, and He makes up for the deficiency with His own divine merit” (My Life Today, pg. 250). This idea of justification implies that man’s “best service” must be combined with Christ’s divine merit to “make up for the deficiency” in the character of the believer, as if the believer can contribute anything to his own salvation. This is no different than the false teaching that prompted the Protestant Reformation. At the Council of Trent, the version of justification promoted by Ellen White was vigorously defended by the Roman Catholic church, pronouncing condemnation upon anyone who disagreed with it. “If any one shall affirm, that man’s freewill, moved and excited by God, does not, by consenting, cooperate with God, the mover and exciter, so as to prepare and dispose itself for the attainment of justification...let such a one be accursed!” (Council of Trent, Canon IV)

If you are an Adventist, we do not bring these things to your attention to ridicule or condemn you. We are truly concerned for your salvation if you adhere to the historic teachings of Adventism or if your understanding of the gospel has been clouded by the teachings of the Adventist church. You may be surprised to learn that the historic teachings of Adventism on justification and the gospel are more in line with Roman Catholicism than with Protestant Christianity. This difference is critical to understand because it is the heart of the gospel and it puts true faith in Jesus into sharp focus. Without acknowledging what God has done for humanity by reconciling us to Himself freely through Jesus apart from our “best efforts,” we cannot have genuine faith. If we believe that our effort in any way adds to salvation apart from what Jesus has already obtained on our behalf, we have fundamentally distorted the gospel. If righteousness could be obtained through our own effort, Jesus died for no purpose (Gal. 2:21).

<span style="float: right; padding: 0 0 0 1.5em"><img src="http://www.forthegospel.org/gfx/cross.gif" alt="bible"></img></span>If you have not done so already, we most sincerely pray that you will place your faith in Jesus Christ outside of your own efforts, acknowledging your sinful condition and your utter incapacity to save yourself. “We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20). Turn from your sin (including the sin of believing you can earn God’s favor) and put your faith in the Savior, who will cleanse you of all unrighteousness—past, present and future. Recognize that God made him to be sin who knew no sin (Jesus), so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21).

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). “So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace” (Romans 11:5-6). We pray that the Adventist church will turn from a gospel of works intertwined with grace and awaken to the biblical gospel of righteousness by faith alone, in Christ alone, by His grace alone, and for His glory alone. The salvation of souls depends on it.

Greg,

That is an excellent final appeal.  Those scriptures are right to the point.

Stan

I don’t recall any SDA disagreeing with the above quotations. Perhaps there may be a ‘works mingled with grace’ within the SDA church but I have yet to meet an SDA who feels they need to do works to ‘get in favor with God’. Day by day our lives show us over and over how out of ‘favor’ we are with God in our words, thoughts and actions.

We are utterly sinful and need the Savior all the time to uplift us and uphold us and transform us in our character to be more like Him...not to be good enough to save, but because as Christians we are called to live to a higher standard of love, mercy, grace in all our actions and thoughts. As Max Lucado poetically stated ‘God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you there. He wants you to be just like Jesus’

Going back to ‘Part 2’ of this article, I am more and more amazed at the logic and rationality of H.M.S Richards Sr. in putting SDAism in perspective to the gospel. This tells me 2 things:

1) Either he was way ahead of his time
or
2) The church seriously slipped from his time period in forgetting the gospel and elevating EGW to a status where she wasn’t viewed as

Part of me believes that it is both.

I like his comment when a well minding ‘saint’ came up to complain and ask him about someone wearing makeup. His answer?

“If the barn door needs painting, then paint it!”

Gotta love the guy!

Guibox,

I agree that sanctification didn’t get enough attention when the controversy over justification by faith alone became prominent. But I have been looking for unequivocal evidence in statements in their official literature that salvation is entirely by grace, and that because when we are born again, we obey because we are saved, rather than to be able to sin away our salvation by our bad works. Because if we are lost by our bad works, then the article of justification by faith alone is damaged.

I also agree that HMS Richards was a true Christian preacher, even though I disagreed with some of his theology.

Stan

[quote author="Stan Ermshar"]
Because if we are lost by our bad works, then the article of justification by faith alone is damaged.

So here is my honest question…

If this is the case, then isn’t it possible that one can get in the habit of doing ‘bad things’? I know the pat answer is ‘a true born again Christian won’t want to do those things’ but we all know that that doesn’t hold much water in our personal experience.

Now I’m not necessarily talking about willful sinning in the most henious kind. I am talking about slipping into old ways and bad habits that may not be ‘acceptable’ to the average Christian. Do we just expect that because we are saved God will just ‘let it slide’?

If not, then if we are already ‘saved’ why do we need to keep asking for forgiveness for our sinful ways? If nothing I can do can remove my salvation, then isn’t it possible to still ‘sin’ and ‘get away with it’? I’m not saying that we should willfully do so, but in our sinful nature, it is bound to happen.

Didn’t Paul warn the church about this? Of sinning simply because grace abounds?

If nothing can take away my salvation, then what is the bother of ‘trying to live a good Christian life’ when I can live a ‘good life’ like the rest of the normal world? What is the big importance if ‘being a new creature’ and ‘doing the works of the Father’ really don’t mean much in this “once saved always saved” scenario?

In other words, “Why SHOULD sanctification matter at all?”

Guibox,

You have asked an excellent question. I have to trust exactly what the Bible says about our security in Christ:

19"So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father[d] does, that the Son does likewise. 20For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. 21For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 22The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life."(John 5:19-24 ESV)

So, if a person HAS eternal life now, how can something eternal be lost.

I started to understand this concept better when I understood what it means to be truly born from above as John 3 talks about.

All those who come to faith in Christ have a heart transplant operation, where the hearts of stone are turned into hearts of flesh. The prophet Ezekiel predicted this (I will find the reference later). The heart of man is literally miraculously changed so that our wills are changed, and He makes us want to follow Christ.

I will also appeal to experience on this. Yes, a regenerate person can fall into grievous sin, as I did for a number of years. But, even in a backslidden state, the Holy Spirit will bring you back. We have a powerful savior who actively seeks and saves that which is lost. All the true sheep will remain in the fold, as John 10 clearly states.

So why don’t I now just sit back and relax and surf secular news sites, and live how I want to live?

The Gospel compels us to live for Christ. If we are transformed by the renewing of our minds, then our minds will want to seek after Christ.

Stan

Stan, I think you struck on an important point, that regenerate Christians will fall into sin.  Paul himself struggled with the flesh, “For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” (Romans 7:14-15 ESV).  This is the same apostle who said earlier in Romans that we do not sin so that grace may increase.

I think the way to reconcile these apparently contradictory statements is to realize that once we are born again, we truly understand the great price that has been paid by Jesus on our behalf.  Knowing this, we desperately want to live for him, not to find his favor or to gain salvation (because we already have them), but out of gratitude for what he has done for us.  Since we are still fleshly creatures, however, we will battle sin for the rest of our earthly existence.  Later in Romans 7, Paul says, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” (Romans 7:18-19 ESV, also see Galatians 5:17) If Paul was having these troubles even after personally encountering the resurrected Christ, how can we expect to fare any better?

A useful distinction I’ve heard is that born again Christians will fall into sin, but will not dive into sin.  In other words, if we are truly saved and know the magnitude of what Christ has done for us, we will not seek out opportunities to habitually sin.  But will we fall into sin?  Of course, and the difference between falling and diving is that after falling, we abhor what we have done and we lay it at the foot of the cross, utterly dependent on the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ.

“Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25 ESV).

For more depth on this, see Kim Riddlebarger’s essay “Romans 7 and the Normal Christian Life” here: http://www.modernreformation.org/kr06rom7.htm

Blessings in Christ,

Greg

[quote author="Greg"]
Of course, and the difference between falling and diving is that after falling, we abhor what we have done and we lay it at the foot of the cross, utterly dependent on the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ.  Greg

But what for? What exactly are we trying to accomplish by ‘laying it at the foot of the cross’ if not to have the ‘cleansing blood’ apply to us? Is this not an act of contrition? Of asking for forgiveness? If we are already saved why do this? If it in no way effects our salvation is it just merely a matter of ‘apologizing to the offended one’ like we do to each other here?

Better question...If we DON’T do this, what then happens?

I know the logical answer ends up being...if doing all of this becomes a burden are you really living as a Christian? However if ‘salvation’ as an existential reality exists regardless of my choices, and there are no conditions, then what sense does it make to BE sanctified? Do you see how I’m trying to make sense of the proper role of sanctification and whether our ‘deeds, thoughts and actions’ don’t in fact make a difference for something?

[quote author="guibox"]
But what for? What exactly are we trying to accomplish by ‘laying it at the foot of the cross’ if not to have the ‘cleansing blood’ apply to us? Is this not an act of contrition? Of asking for forgiveness? If we are already saved why do this? If it in no way effects our salvation is it just merely a matter of ‘apologizing to the offended one’ like we do to each other here?

Better question...If we DON’T do this, what then happens?

Guibox, I think I understand where you are coming from, but I think we’re looking at this from the wrong angle.  First of all, we don’t accomplish anything by repenting of our sins.  Christ has already accomplished atonement for our sins past, present and future.

“For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:14 ESV)

In commenting on this verse, John Piper says the following:

1. First notice that Christ has perfected his people, and it is already complete. “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” He “has” done it. And he has done it “for all time.” The perfecting of his people is complete and it is complete forever. Does this mean that Christians don’t sin? Don’t get sick? Don’t make mathematical errors in school? That we are already perfect in our behavior and attitudes?

There is one clear reason in this very verse for knowing that is not the case. What is it? It’s the last phrase. Who are the people that have been perfected for all time? It is those who “are being sanctified.” This is why the tense is so important. Now “those who are being sanctified” are not yet fully sanctified in the sense of committing no more sin. Otherwise they would not need to go on being sanctified. So here we have the shocking combination: the very people who “have been perfected” are the ones who “are being sanctified.” Besides, you can also remember from chapters 5 and 6, that these Christians he is writing to are anything but perfect. For example, in 5:11 he says, “You have become dull of hearing.” So we may safely say that “perfected” does not mean that we are sinlessly perfect in this life.

Well what does it mean? The answer is given in the next verses (15-18). The writer explains what he means by quoting Jeremiah again on the new covenant, namely, that in the new covenant which Christ has sealed now by his blood, there is total forgiveness for all our sins. Verses 17-18 “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.” So he explains the present perfection in terms of forgiveness. Christ’s people are perfected now in the sense that God puts away all our sin (9:26), forgives them, and never brings them to mind again as a ground of condemnation. In this sense we stand before him perfect. When he looks on us he does not impute any of our sins against us, past, present or future. He does not count our sins against us.

2. Verse 14 tells us plainly: “By one offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” So notice, secondly, for whom Christ has done this perfecting work on the cross. You can put it provocatively like this: Christ has perfected once and for all those who are being perfected. Or you could say (and the writer does say as much in verse 10): Christ has fully sanctified those who are now being sanctified. Or Christ has fully accomplished and guaranteed the holiness of those who are now being made holy.

What this means is that you can know that you stand perfect in the eyes of your heavenly Father if you are moving away from your present imperfection toward more and more holiness by faith in his future grace. Let me say that again, because it is full of encouragement for imperfect sinners like us, and full of motivation for holiness. This verse means that you can have assurance that you stand perfected and completed in the eyes of your heavenly Father not because you are perfect now, but precisely because you are not perfect now but are “being sanctified”, “being made holy”, that, by faith in God’s promises, you are moving away from your lingering imperfection toward more and more holiness. (See Hebrews 10:32-35; 11:24-26 etc. for examples of how faith in future grace sanctifies.) Taken from: Desiring God

Now, if we are already perfect, why must we repent of our sins and ask for forgiveness?  Well, the most obvious answer is because we are commanded to.  There is a seeming paradox here between our salvation and need for continual forgiveness, but I suggest there is really no paradox because once we have been saved, we willingly do the things our Lord has asked us to.

What about 1 John 1:8-10?  “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1 John 1:8-10 ESV)

Again returning to Piper, he makes the following observation:

Walking in the light means seeing things the way God sees them and responding the way he does. We walk in the light when we hate the sin we fall into and name it for the ugly thing it is and agree with God about it and turn from it. So confessing sin is a crucial part of walking in the light. And verse 9 makes forgiveness of sin dependent of the walking in the light. Therefore we are warranted in taking the cleansing of verse 7 to refer forgiveness and not just to sanctification.” Taken from Sound of Grace

I think Piper makes a great point here, that the continual confessing of our sin not so much accomplishes anything from God’s perspective, but allows us to see ourselves as God does--as sinners in need of a Savior.

[quote author="guibox"]
I know the logical answer ends up being...if doing all of this becomes a burden are you really living as a Christian? However if ‘salvation’ as an existential reality exists regardless of my choices, and there are no conditions, then what sense does it make to BE sanctified? Do you see how I’m trying to make sense of the proper role of sanctification and whether our ‘deeds, thoughts and actions’ don’t in fact make a difference for something?

I would suggest that your deeds, thoughts and actions are a natural outworking of the salvation in Christ that is yours when you are born again.  He is faithful to complete the work he has begun in you (Phil. 1:6).  We get way off the track when we start trying to distill down to our deeds, thoughts and actions and their impact on our salvation, instead of simply taking God at his Word.  Stated another way, if I am a new creature in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17), why would I want to return to who I was before?

Greg

Greg,

Thank you for your words and those Piper quotes. There is a bit of confusion still on my part and Piper’s words both clarified for me and confused me at the same time, particularily the last quote.

Is this what Piper is basically saying?:

By confessing my sins, it allows me to see sin for what it is? I don’t confess my sins to ask for forgiveness for sins because they have already been forgiven, but to allow myself to grow in sanctification and be more like Him and how He sees sin.

My question is: is even though Christ has made atonment for all my sins, isn’t this merely a blanket statement of insurance? That there is no sin that I can’t commit that Christ won’t forgive me because of His sacrifice? Don’t I still have to come before Him to ask for the forgiveness of the sins I commit daily? How can I ‘confess my sins and He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins an cleanse us from all unrighteousness’ if this ‘forgiveness of sin’ has already happened for all eternity?

To me, I see asking forgiveness as a continual effort and constant outpouring of grace and mercy that I need day by day. Though theoretically I have eternal life it has not been fully realized in its consummation. By continually sinning and not asking forgiveness for these sins, am I not removing myself from this blanket of grace that has been provided for me?

Some clarification and assistance in this matter would be appreciated.

[quote author="guibox"]
My question is: is even though Christ has made atonment for all my sins, isn’t this merely a blanket statement of insurance? That there is no sin that I can’t commit that Christ won’t forgive me because of His sacrifice? Don’t I still have to come before Him to ask for the forgiveness of the sins I commit daily? How can I ‘confess my sins and He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins an cleanse us from all unrighteousness’ if this ‘forgiveness of sin’ has already happened for all eternity?

To me, I see asking forgiveness as a continual effort and constant outpouring of grace and mercy that I need day by day. Though theoretically I have eternal life it has not been fully realized in its consummation. By continually sinning and not asking forgiveness for these sins, am I not removing myself from this blanket of grace that has been provided for me?

Hey Guibox,

Once we start viewing the grace of God as an insurance policy, we’re not seeing his grace for what it actually is.  Jesus Christ died a horrible death on the cross, suffering intensely for the sins of all who would be saved by his blood, past present and future.  When we realize the tremendous cost paid by Jesus, we cannot reduce this to a form of “insurance.” As someone who is born again, I realize daily how sinful I am and how far I have fallen from God’s standard.  That Jesus was basically tortured to death for my sins causes me to have deep gratitude for him and also motivates me to cease from continuing in that sin.  The insurance policy analogy changes the deep gratitude I should have to God into something I can take for granted.  If I keep paying my insurance premiums, I don’t have anything to worry about if I get into an accident because I have paid for the coverage.  When we are in Christ, we realize that there is no way we deserve the riches of his grace (he has paid the price, not us) and so we daily confess our fallenness to him both as a means of continued gratitude for what he already has done and to give us a perspective on how he sees our sin.

True salvation is not something that can be regained and lost multiple times over one’s life...the grace of God covers all of our sin.  Having said that, we who are saved do not look for opportunities to sin and thereby extend God’s grace.  “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (Romans 6:1-2 ESV).

To close, here is what John MacArthur says about 1 John 1:9 in his commentary:

Continual confession of sin is an indication of genuine salvation.  While the false teachers would not admit their sin, the genuine Christian admitted and forsook it (Ps. 32:3-5; Prov. 28:13).  The term confess means to say the same thing about sin as God does; to acknowledge His perspective about sin.  While verse 7 is from God’s perspective, verse 9 is from the Christian’s perspective.  Confession of sin characterizes genuine Christians, and God continually cleanses those who are confessing (cf. v. 7).  Rather than focusing on confession for every single sin as necessary, John has especially in mind here a settled recognition and acknowledgment that one is a sinner in need of cleansing and forgiveness (Eph. 4:32; Col. 2:13).

Greg

Just a comment on the MacArthur post (which does make sense)

He mentions ‘an acknowledgment that we are sinners in need of cleansing and forgiveness’

Why are we in ‘need’ of it? Hasn’t this already happened?
To be in ‘need’ of forgiveness means that it is important for something. What? To merely show us what sin is? It sounds like something more to me.

This is my point: Isn’t this really a process? Isn’t salvation a process and not really a state?  (I’m not talking about the Catholic ‘confess every sin’ but what MacArthur says. Now if there is a process involved (and according to MacArthur it seems to be deemed important) then it is not merely one time deal for there would be no need of anything. A heartfelt response to love and serve is much different then a ‘need for cleansing or forgiveness’. Either it is a state and we need no more forgiveness (if our sins have already been forgiven, past, present and future) or it is a process where God’ grace needs to apply to us on a daily basis as we are still sinful. If confessing and acknowledging our sinfulness is part of the package then initial justification is merely a formality, or the first thing that is absolutely necessary. We need it right off the bat but our sanctification is just as important. This is the contradiction I am finding from the ‘grace by faith alone’ advocates.

I am not trying to be a devil’s advocate here, I’m just trying to make these two trains of thought I have encountered in my Christian walk work together because to me it seems one or the other.

[quote author="guibox"]
Just a comment on the MacArthur post (which does make sense)

He mentions ‘an acknowledgment that we are sinners in need of cleansing and forgiveness’

Why are we in ‘need’ of it? Hasn’t this already happened?

this is my point: Isn’t this really a process? Isn’t salvation a process and not really a state? Either it is a state and we need no more forgiveness (if our sins have already been forgiven, past, present and future) or it is a process where God’ grace needs to apply to us on a daily basis as we are still sinful?

I think if we get pigeonholed into an either/or here, we’ve created a false dichotomy.  Salvation is both a state and a process.  Those who are in Christ are justified (state), but they are in continual need of God’s grace (process).  This is really summarized well in Hebrews 10:14, “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:14 ESV)

Adventists (primarily the historic variety) and Catholics, as you have pointed out, teach that salvation hangs in the balance with each sin.  If a sin is not confessed and forgiveness received, so the thinking goes, salvation is lost.  Ellen White said that even one unconfessed sin will keep you out of heaven.  This flies in the face of Scripture and we should do whatever we can to reverse this anti-gospel teaching.

When you are born again, you are transferred from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of Christ (Col. 1:13-14).  This is not some future event, but a transaction that has already happened.  “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” (Col. 2:13-14 ESV).

God has already forgiven us all our trespasses and made us alive, together with him, seating us in the heavenly places.  “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ–by grace you have been saved–and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (Eph. 2:4-7 ESV).

To promote a theology that says salvation can turn on even one unconfessed sin is to directly contradict God’s Word and his gospel.

Greg

[quote author="guibox"]
“This is my point: Isn’t this really a process? Isn’t salvation a process and not really a state?  (I’m not talking about the Catholic ‘confess every sin’ but what MacArthur says. Now if there is a process involved (and according to MacArthur it seems to be deemed important) then it is not merely one time deal for there would be no need of anything. A heartfelt response to love and serve is much different then a ‘need for cleansing or forgiveness’. Either it is a state and we need no more forgiveness (if our sins have already been forgiven, past, present and future) or it is a process where God’ grace needs to apply to us on a daily basis as we are still sinful. If confessing and acknowledging our sinfulness is part of the package then initial justification is merely a formality, or the first thing that is absolutely necessary. We need it right off the bat but our sanctification is just as important. This is the contradiction I am finding from the ‘grace by faith alone’ advocates.”

Guibox,

If salvation is a process instead of accomplished fact, then I don’t know how any of us could rejoice in our salvation. This idea that is common to both RCC and SDA is foreign to the gospel Paul preached.

Romans 8 is quite definitive:

1"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1 ESV)

I understand from the Greek construction of this verse, that this is a one-time definitive dclarative statement, and according to our PCA pastor, this verse alone should end all debate on whether a true Christian can lose his salvation.

Further on in Romans 8 we find this:

28"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,[g] for those who are called according to his purpose. 29For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” (Romans 8:28-30 ESV)

The very last verse is called the golden unbroken chain of salvation. Again, those who are trained in Greek say that there is no room for error with regard to the fact that all who are called are justified, and to the justified He will glorify. What would be the point of saving someone and justifying that person, if he isn’t glorified?

God leaves nothing to chance with regard to our salvation. He predestined it before the foundation of the world, Christ purchased our pardon with His own blood on Calvary, and the Holy Spirit guarantees it with His sealing and keeping. (See Ephesians 1). The Holy Trinity has guaranteed our salvation for all time.

We confess our sins as 1 John 1:9 says, we restore our fellowhip with God. Whether we die with an unconfessed sin does not negate salvation. If we don’t confess our sins, then our relationship with God is hurt, and we become ineffective witnesses for Christ.

There are so many clear cut statements about our security in Christ, that any texts that would appear to undercut that must be interpreted in the light of the clear didactic teaching about salvation as Romans and John’s gospel are abundantly clear.

This is the difference from living the Christian life in fear vs. having a boldness.

Ephesians 6 says we are equipped for spiritual battle because we have the helmet of salvation. That helmet is protective, because it can’t be lost.

Stan

So then why does Paul talk about:

1) fighting the good fight of faith
2) enduring to the end
3) running the race
4) seeking immortality

What honest sense does it make if our salvation is assured? What exactly is the necessity for’endurance to the end’?

[quote author="guibox"]
So then why does Paul talk about:

1) fighting the good fight of faith
2) enduring to the end
3) running the race
4) seeking immortality

What honest sense does it make if our salvation is assured? What exactly is the necessity for’endurance to the end’?

Guibox,

The items on your list are all the fruit of salvation, not the root.  Some call this “perseverance of the saints,” describing how all who are truly born again, having already received salvation, progress in their Christian walk by bearing ever more fruit.  Besides, fighting the good fight of faith can only be done when the helmet of salvation (Eph. 6:17) is protecting your head!

I just want to clarify what I said above about salvation being a state and a process.  Strictly speaking, as Stan said, salvation has already been accomplished by Christ from the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4).  For the purposes of this discussion, I included the continued grace we receive from God as part of salvation, but even this has already been accomplished on our behalf.  And what’s more, even our future glorification is secure: “And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” (Romans 8:30 ESV) Notice that all of these sentences are past tense.

Do we then “let it slide” because we know things are secure?  Absolutely not!  We continue to persevere, but we don’t do it without God’s merciful grace.  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3-5 ESV).

What gratitude we should have for what has been accomplished on our behalf in Christ--our calling, our justification, our perseverance, and our glorification!

Greg