ETERNAL SECURITY
(Once Saved-Always Saved):
Analyzing a Sermon by Baptist Pastor,
Charles Stanley
By Steve Ray
Hello Protestant Friend:
Even though I have watched his show off and on over the months, I had no intention of watching Charles Stanley on television last night. It was just that I was tired after getting home and was getting some iced tea to drink and flipped on the TV and—there he was as big as life. His Bible was dramatically floating up and down with pages flapping as he paced in front of the audience.
I understand – I learned the same speaking style as a Bible teacher. It is something pastors learn in Bible school. Delivery is crucial. His style or manner is similar to Kenneth Copeland’s but not quite as dramatic and certainly without Copeland’s arrogance. He caught my interest tonight because his topic was judgment for the sinner and Eternal Security for the believer………
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This Post Has 10 Comments
Are you trying to meddle with the GOSPEL itself? ; )
You have written an excellent artical exposing the sand on which the “unconditional” eternal security doctrine has been constructed.
See also “Once Saved, Always Saved? Sign Me Up! http://www.webspawner.com/users/eternalosas/index.html
Bryan
Dear friend, my undertanding on salvation is that it is something you can't work for but it is a gift to those who have TRULY repented and accepted JESUS as their LORD and SAVIOUR. Of course, the scriptures state that GOD'S children will be recognised by their love. I would say if there is no fruit in a persons life after receiving CHRIST, you would have to question his salvation. For those who are saved we know that JESUS died for ALL our sins past, present and future and that we were crucified with HIM. We are now a new creation in CHRIST JESUS. The old man is dead. This is the GRACE of GOD – undeserved kindness. My question to you is, at what point do you lose your salvation – after falling away from the Lord for a day, a month, two months…..?
STEVE RAY HERE: Thank for writing and you are most welcome. I see you are from the UK — blessings! Your's is the typical Evangelical Protestant view of salvation, but it is a relatively new or novel idea. It is certainly not found before the 16th century. I would suggest you check out the more complete and historical Catholic view of salvation.
hi louis, the Protestant understanding of salvation is one of presumption rather than of hope. the latter is the Catholic culture and is congruent with Paul who advised Christians “work out your salvation with fear and trembling”
This is the right attitude. Not with presumption. or with mere vocal-mental declaration of acceptance of Jesus as lord. .
Further, Paul’s words is telling us that if we need to work it out, it is a process. Not a one,-time event. (Once saved always saved).
Jesus himself warned that “not everyone who calls me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom but he who does …(work is involved)
Protestantism is the error of presumption and appointing the judgement seat (which belongs only to Jesus) on the self. Attributing oneself the ability to know or determine whether oneself is saved or our neighbor is or is not.
Dr, Stanley is one of the top preachers of our day and he and Dr. Van Impe are great teachers of the Apostolic faith. They probably do not believe in the gifts of the Spirit, whereas I do though I do not have the gift of tongues.
They build faith on the Word of God the Bible while Catholicism builds their faith on the Church Traditions of the popes and their Magisterium. I view the Gospels and epistles as being just like Jesus is in front of me telling me His truths. I chose to trust in the Lord rather than the machinations of coming out of the papacy.
STEVE RAY HERE: Lots of degrees there my friend! Good for you! However, it is interesting that the Sola Scriptura theology (recently invented Protestant idea) can never work. Everyone interprets it for themselves and you end up with thousands of competing theologies with no arbiter other than yourself.
Second, the early Church had no New Testament. It was not finally collected into a book at the end of the 4th century. Before that there was no final canon of Scripture. And where did you get your Bible as you know it today? From the Councils and Synods of the Catholic Church based on the Apostolic Tradition.
I would suggest you read my books Crossing the Tiber and Upon this Rock to better understand the early Church, the Apostolic Tradition and the formation of your Bible.
By the way, how did Christians function without a final canon of Scripture for the first centuries? They had the tradition as handed down by the apostles, that how.
Stanley is a good man, but he sadly has not yet found the fullness of the faith of the one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church.
God bless you Steve Ray from down under in the South Pacific-Samoa. Fa’afetai lava Uso
Once saved, always saved is just too ridiculous. Our human nature is too fecal to even understand if we are saved.
I’m a Catholic and I don’t believe in eternal security of salvation. But I want to ask,
Are justification and salvation the same event?
What’s the Catholic teaching on that?
STEVE RAY HERE: Gerry, they are very closely associated but I think there are nuances of difference. Salvation refers to the whole process of bringing us from a state of sin and alienation into a relationship of holiness and friendship with God. We are being saved from our old condition and brought into a new condition.
Justification is the state of being made right with God. We are justified, and put in right relationship with God. Like I said, they are similar but there are nuances of difference.
I am in Israel right now and a little bit overwhelmed. I would suggest you get out the catechism and look in the glossary in the back and then the index and you’ll find some very rich and astute answers to your questions.
Great article, Steve! Thank you for all your good works – your writings, your pilgrimages, your videos, etc. I’m proud to call you my friend! God bless you.
Great article – thank you Steve! I tried to find more reference info on the paragraph you cited from the Expositor’s Bible Commentary (“Verses 18-19 are a strong warning against…beast worshipers”) but I couldn’t find this paragraph in the Bible Hub or Android versions of the commentary. Would you please confirm and provide the source for the paragraph? Thanks! Brian
Even in the times of St Paul’s letters, Christians were encouraged to follow and teach oral tradition. Read 2 Thessalonians 2:15.
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