“Security of the Believer”
Romans 5:9-11
(A theological perspective)
Introduction: Romans 5:9-11 places us right in the center of a most basic Christian teaching. The security of the believer comes front and center in these verses. The practical question is this, “Could a person once saved ever be lost again?” The question has the potential of destroying the believer’s peace and confidence about the future. Before we deal with these specific verses, I want to look at the subject from an overall theological perspective. In a subsequent week we will look at these specific verses in Romans. Theologians often address this subject under the topic of perseverance. The idea here is that the true believer will persist in his faith and never ultimately turn back. While there are ups and downs in the Christian life, the believer will never finally abandon his faith. The topic has significance for practical living. On the one had, if there is no guarantee that our salvation is permanent, then we may experience anxiety and insecurity that distracts us from living a meaningful Christian life. On the other hand, if our salvation is absolutely secure and believe it makes no difference how we live, then it may lead to indifference as well as moral and spiritual lethargy. Therefore, we would do well search the Scripture to determine what is the true biblical teaching concerning the security of the believer.
This topic has been hotly debated over the centuries and generally divides into two major schools of thought. One school of thought is referred to as the Calvinist view and the other the Arminian view. Each view has its own set of favorite verses. This does not mean that each view represents the true biblical teaching since they are diametrically opposed to each other. “Can a person once saved ever be lost again?” It cannot be both ways at the same time and in the same sense.
When you have time you may want to consider the following verses Calvinists use to support their view: 1 Peter 1:3-5; Romans 8:31-39; Philippians 1:6.
Also, when you have time you may want to examine the following verses Arminians use to support their view: Matthew 24:3-14;
Colossians 1:21-23; 1 Corinthians 10:12; Hebrews 3:12-14.
One way of dealing with this topic is to examine two key biblical passages that offer major textual support for each view. Since we believe that God speaks truth and has preserved His word in the inerrant, trustworthy Bible, it is incumbent upon us to explain how one set of verses conforms to the other set of verses.
A key passage that supports the view that a true believer cannot and will not lose his/her salvation is John 10:27-30. ESV John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one."
οὐ μὴ (Joh 10:27 BGT) This double negative is an emphatic way of stating the something will not happen in the future. To emphasize the certainty of this statement John goes on to say that His sheep will in no wise perish nor can anyone snatch them out of His hand. Consider the word eternal for a moment. How long is eternal life? Some have tried to argue, unconvincingly, that eternal is speaking about the quality of life, not its duration. While I believe eternal life does have a good quality of life, it does not eliminate the duration aspect of life. By definition something that is eternal does not come to an end. This verse is as emphatic as it can be in rejecting the idea that a true believer can ever lose his/her salvation.
A key passage that is used to support the idea that a true believer can fall away and be eternally lost is Hebrews 6:4-6 ESV Hebrews 6:4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.
On the surface this passage seems clear enough. But instead of jumping to the conclusion that the statements in the Bible are contradictory, it is possible to understand this passage in Hebrews in a way that does not contradict the passage in John. Consider for a moment that the Hebrews passage is speaking about a true believer who can lose his/her salvation. If that is the case, then such a person cannot regain their salvation. Many who hold this view ignore what the rest of the verse says – that such a person cannot be restored to salvation. Those who hold this view may also be reading too much into the expression “shared in the Holy Spirit” as saying that this person has been born again by the Spirit of God. It could just as well be understood as meaning that such persons have been exposed to the word of God and the moving of the Holy Spirit, but did not experience being born again.
(Ill.) Many who sit under the preaching of the Bible, may be moved by emotion, but not born again. (See Matthew 13:3-9; 18-23)
Others have suggested that these verses in Hebrews are speaking about one who has been truly born again, but is presenting a hypothetical case. Their logic runs like this: the writer is describing what would happen if the elect person were to fall away, but it is certain they would not.
I think it is best to consider the context of the passage in Hebrews and pay special attention to verse 9 ESV Hebrews 6:9 Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things-- things that belong to salvation.
Verse nine (9) is a clear statement that they will not fall away! Such people will persist to the end, no matter how much they struggle. The writer is convinced of better things are true of them. These are things that are evidence of a true believer.
Unfortunately some have argued that it does not matter how they live once they have come to believe. Such an attitude only reveals that they have not been born again by the Spirit of God and are not true followers of Jesus Christ.
The practical implication of our security (i.e. perseverance) for the true believer is that we can rest secure in the assurance that our salvation is permanent. Nothing can separate us from the love of God and we can rejoice in the certain hope of eternal life. Those who do not share that hope will experience anxiety and uncertainty in their walk with Christ. It is a shame that many who are believers have not realized the blessings of knowing that Christ holds us in His hand securely. May you rest in that truth and find the peace and joy that only Christ can give.