Eternal Security In Obedience

by Joseph R. Chambers

The believer has "eternal security" in obedience. He does not have "eternal security" in disobedience. John Calvin himself did not preach "eternal security" in sin, rebellion, or disobedience. The controversy between Calvinism and Arminianism has been elevated far beyond the teaching of either of these great men. The devil himself loves a debate as foolish as this one.

To suggest that God excuses the sin in a believer so that he remains under God's grace regardless of his sin is blasphemy to God's Word. Also, to suggest that a believer can be in grace one day and bound for hell the next is equally foolish. The believer, when he is sealed by the Holy Ghost, will not practice sin and must literally turn from God, break the seal of the Holy Ghost, and trample over the mercies of God to go back to the beggarly elements of the world. God always gives His children space to repent and then after such a display of Holy Ghost conviction, the once obedient child is blotted out of God's Book of Life. "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels." (Revelation 3:5).

The Bible teaches "responsibility" in our life, not "irresponsibility". When we tell people that they are secure in salvation even when they are living in sin, we violate every truth about God's holiness in Scripture. The bottom line of the believer's responsibility is found in the Sermon on the Mount. "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8).

The grace of God does not make you pure in disobedience, the grace makes you pure in obedience. Apostle Paul nailed that truth to the wall in his letter to the Romans. "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin." (Romans 6:1-7).

The church is full of "sinning saints" and the House of God has fallen into reproach. The Paw Creek family must make a difference.

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