PERSEVERANCE AND GLORIFICATION: COMPLETION OF SALVATION, PART II.

I agree that it is very hard to become ‘unsaved’ once you believe in Jesus but the Scriptures seem to point to that. As an example, I had some friends, who were strong believers, serving in matters of the Church. The husband, all of a sudden, opted out of this way of life, and now is like a madman in the streets. This is the most blatant personal example that I have seen, of a Christian choosing ‘away from God’. But I believe that this could be similar in nature to Nebuchadnezzar who spent seven years as a madman; and I believe my friend’s husband could have been in a state of confusion, even though he had been warned by Christian leadership of where he was choosing evil; he has only been on the streets for a few years , so will see if he makes a turnaround to God’s ways again! Of course, I have to admit that the few times I have seen him on the streets, he is always talking about Jesus!

But the Scripture is clear: ‘work out your own salvation with fear and trembling’! Of course, and here is where I had a turn of heart and mind, there seems to be Scriptural basis for both , the Calvinist and the Arminian points of view! For example, to support Calvin, the following Scripture says: “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand.”( John 10: 28). Another Scripture where Paul had complete confidence in the Lord’s keeping is 2 Timothy 1: 12 which says: “Yet I am not ashamed because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day.” To support the Arminian point of view the following Scriptures also written by Paul say: “It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance.” And of course, the Scripture mentioned earlier, Philippians 2: 12-13.

So , to me, it is appearing more clearly , that maybe the ones who trample over the Lord’s salvation are those who never had a sincere conversion and thus no justification or regeneration! So then comes the concept that there are backslidden people, which has basis on Scripture and knowing believers personally through a person’s walk! Through my personally knowing believers, I have seen that when they drift away , it is more a case of confusion due to them choosing their own ways, and which leads them to a dark path for a while, like the friend mentioned. But even so they still mention the name of Jesus as their Savior! In Proverbs 14: 14, it says: “ The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways.” In Jeremiah 2: 19 it says: “ Your evil will chastise you, and your apostasy(backsliding) will reprove you. Know and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake the Lord your God. ”Even though these Scriptures are in the Old Testament, before salvation through Jesus, there is resemblance in the condition of the Chosen People, Israel, and New Testament believers. There is strong resemblance in the changes in the human hearts, especially of those touched by God!