Reformed Theology and Eternal Security in Calvinism

Alright, we are continuing on our topic of Reformed theology otherwise known as Calvinism and this is our fifth part. We left off talking about whether or not salvation can be lost – remembering that Calvinists say that since it's God who saves according to His will it can never be lost or let go of. Admittedly, in this area, Reformed theology is inviting.

The Concept of Eternal Security

So, if salvation is NOT based on our righteousness, and is bestowed by grace through faith, most Christians ask, “How could salvation be lost?” It’s a reasonable question. And because of it, most Christians who are fairly well-read in the Bible agree with “once saved always saved,” or eternal security. But if salvation (meaning living with God after this life) is something that is NOT bestowed freely then it only makes sense that salvation/exaltation can be lost by and through the poor choices of the individual.

Now, there are a number of passages in scripture that intimate strongly that this final point of eternal security is true. Let’s work through some of the stronger ones.

John 10:27-28 where Jesus said “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”

Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

John 6:47 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”

Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

Romans 8:38-39 “For I am persuaded, that neither deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God., nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God's Sovereign Will and Human Free Will

Does the Bible say God elects some to certain things? Of course, it does. Is His will always accomplished? Absolutely. Will He elect (which I would equate to calling or choosing) some nations and people to perform certain things as a means to bring about His overall loving sovereign will? Obviously. Can God possibly elect and choose some for certain things while honoring the free will He has given all people? Of course. See, because He is a good God, and not a despot, not a fascist, because that He honors freedom and does not crush or control it, but because He is all about life and not death, He can and does.

Now, philosophically we would say this is an impossibility – either God makes things happen (and gets His way) OR He lets things happen and doesn’t. But we are not talking about philosophy, we are talking about God and His eternal perspective of things. And without going into every nuance (and I know there are a lot of them) I might strongly suggest that God is able to bring about His LOVING, GOOD (even sovereign) will while somehow honoring man’s ability to choose. How?

By His Foreknowledge. Yes, He created all with certain attributes – like autonomous chess pieces. And yes, He allows them to move and act freely across the panoply of human existence. But by and through His foreknowledge, He will have His will accomplished. And His will is LOVING, REDEMPTIVE, and NEVER FAILS. Remember . . .

1st Timothy 2:3 “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

2nd Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

So, where the Arminianist says, “it’s up to the individual, not God” and the Calvinist says, “God controls it all while only caring for some,” the Christian Anarchist says that God takes the free will of Man into account and that by and through His foreknowledge of all things His will is always done in the end.

Summary of Calvinism

So, let me sort of summarize Calvinism. Like all “isms,” Calvinism ends up putting well-intentioned, God-fearing people into bondage rather than setting them free. Instead of allowing their

Theological Perspectives on Salvation

Sovereign God to be willing (and able) to elect all to salvation while allowing them their free will, the Calvinist makes Him a God who is only willing to capriciously save a few while simultaneously being willing to have the rest burn for an eternity of hellish punishment – all from a view of gaining glory to Himself for this approach instead of one of omnipotent love where He victoriously reconciles all back to Himself. If or since Godly love never fails, and is longsuffering, we would do well to believe that God Himself authors and exists by such love, never losing and never giving up on the recalcitrant or rebellious soul but instead doing all things possible to bring such a being to their senses – and then to Him.

Criticism of Calvinism and Arminianism

To me, one of the most heinous examples of Christian crookery is both the Five Point Calvinist and the Arminianist. For millions, Jean Calvin (who by all historical evidences, actually had dissenters to his views tortured, punished and even put to death – as in the case of Michael Servetus – because they disagreed with him) masterminded a system of religion that makes God a monster, stripping people made in His image of the freedom to choose and causing those who accept his views as biblical to become mired in a pit of cold hardening clay.

Consequences of Calvinist Doctrine

The thievery that occurs in the hands of the crooked Calvinist is they steal notions of a kind, loving, merciful God from the minds of men and leave them with a vengeful, cold, indifferent God who finds glory in the eternal suffering of most of His creations.