14 Oct 2010

Theological Digression: Endurance

Posted by joncooper

Editor’s note: This is something I wrote years ago, on the idea of whether or not you can lose your salvation.

Yes, one does find verses like these:

Revelation 2:7: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”

Revelation 2:11: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.”

But the Scriptures also say this:

I John 5:4-5: “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”

I John 4:2-4: “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

Christ is telling us here that we have already overcome the world. That is a done deal. We have overcome the world – it is a finished act, accomplished by Christ Jesus our Lord.

And this verse:

Matthew 10:22: “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”

Enduring to the end is not what saves us but is a sign that we are saved – it’s a result, not a cause, just like good works are a result and not a cause. We will endure to the end because it is Christ’s good pleasure that we endure to the end; He has predestined us to that before the world began. My actions can no more lose it than my actions gained it in the first place – it is His doing, not mine. I am not saved by my actions but by His grace; even the saving faith was a gift from God.

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