Conditional or Unconditional Security?

When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "IT IS FINISHED," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (Joh 19:30)

It is Finished

There are two teachings in Christiamdom – conditional salvation and eternal salvation. Those that teach conditional salvation most often point to Galatians 5:4 “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” While eternal security is not used in scripture, I think there are some words that are even better that is used in scripture — eternal redemption in Hebrews 9:12, everlasting life (John 3:16), eternal salvation (Hebrews 5:9).

On its surface, Galatians 5:4 seems to state that our salvation can be lost as it uses the words “fallen from grace.”  Those that believe salvation can be lost teach that Christians have stepped out of the hands of Jesus. However, in reading this verse in context, what Paul is teaching is justification by law is of no effect. Paul is teaching that if one feels that they can be justified in any way other than Christ such as works or obedience to the law, then one is saying that Christ’s work was in vain. If one could be justified by his own obedience to the law, then it would follow that they do not need the work of Christ. Paul, when making the statement “whosoever of you are justified by the law” is saying, in essence, “you who are trying to be justified in the law.” “Ye are fallen from grace” is not a true born again Christian.

Paul teaches that there is no justification in the law; justification only can occur through Christ. When Christ declared, “It is finished” we need to look at the time in which He lived on earth. The word finished is translated from the word “τελέω teleō; from G5056; to bring to an end, complete, fulfill: – accomplished (3), performed (1). [Completed; ended; done; perfected].” In the reign of the Romans, when a person was convicted of a crime, a certificate of debt was prepared and attached to his cell. Upon completion of his debt, the magistrate would take the certificate of debt and write across it “tetelestai” which would denote that his debt had been paid and that the person could not be re-convicted for the same offense. In Colossians 2:13-14, it states that He took our sins which were “contrary to us” and “nailed it to the cross.” Our debt to sin was paid and it was paid by Christ. We cannot be tried and judged again for sin.

When Christ died on the cross and declared, “It is finished,” how many of our sins was He talking about? Were only some of our sins covered? In order to deny eternal security, one must claim that not all of our sins were covered. If not all our sins were covered when He said, “It is finished”, then the claim is that Christ only paid for some of our sins, the rest of our sins are left unpaid. The question must be asked how much of our sin was paid for and who pays the price for the sins that He did not finish paying for? It is taught that upon repentance, we are forgiven sin but with this teaching, one simply forgets that repentance is not just payment for sin, death is. Also left up in the air is those that teach that salvation can be lost are unable to point to a time when one’s sin causes the loss of salvation. They cannot point to scripture that teaches at what point one loses salvation, just that one can lose salvation. However, it is taught that if a person repents and turns back to Him, then can be forgiven and re-adopted by God, thus salvation is restored. Scripture does not state at what point a person loses their salvation. The problem with this teaching is that we would run around wondering at what point do we lose our salvation since any sin is sin. Also, there is no scripture to support that if salvation is lost and a person repents again, salvation is restored. To the contrary, scripture says that after having knowledge of the truth, there is no more sacrifice

For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Hebrews 10:26-27 (ESV)

Also taught by some is that once salvation is lost, it cannot be regained. Since scripture simply does not speak to regaining of salvation, which is correct, salvation lost forever or salvation can be regained upon repentance? Scripture is silent. In 1 John 1:7 and 1:9 scripture states that He cleanses us from all sin without a hint of cleansing up to the point of salvation.

God imputes the righteousness of Christ to those that believe in Him. God has dealt with the sin of the believer because the penalty of sins was put on Christ at the cross. He is now able to deal with His children, not by judgment or condemnation but by discipline.

Those that reject the belief in eternal salvation will ask “does the Christian who sins or rebels remain saved?” They will ask does this give a person the “go ahead” to go out and live life in sin without any consequences? They take the position that to accept eternal salvation as truth means that it gives license to a saved person to live a life of sin as there are no consequences. They teach that consequences of sin is loss of salvation but, again, it is always unclear at what point does one lose salvation. However, as 1 John 1:8 teaches, if we claim to be without sin, the truth is not in us. The Lord is aware that sin will never be something that is completely removed from our life and to claim so is to lie. We have no ability to make judgments of the heart, only He does. To those that profess Christians live in sin, only God can read their heart and whether He has placed His seal upon them. Scripture does teach that we are to sin no more, yet we do. This is why He said that to claim that we are without sin is to lie.

God commands that we live a righteous and holy life. (2 Corinthians 6:17). When a Christian sins, God asks two things, one that they admit that they sinned and, two, to eradicate the sin and to ask for forgiveness (1 John 1:9). When Christ died on the cross, He paid the penalty for our sin. His is not asking for a penalty to be paid as He paid that. To claim that confessing sin and repentance is a condition of salvation is to claim that the penalty was not paid. If we are to believe that the wages of sin is death is a true statement, any sin committed after salvation would require death. Nowhere in scripture does it state that Christ will die again. In fact, scripture states in Romans 6:9 that He “is never to die again.” If we are to believe the wages of sin is death, and Christ is never to be sacrificed for sin again, then sin would require death – that would leave the Christian to pay the penalty of sin. Nowhere does scripture imply that the wages of sin changes for the believer from death to repentance. 1 John 1:9 speaks to the obstacle that comes up between the believer and God, a wall of guilt that comes between the fellowship of the believer and God. He says that it is not His will that His children sin but if they do, their sin has been taken care of. We have an advocate in Christ, we are His children. He does not defend the unsaved; He defends those that are His own, those that His blood covers. If we are to claim that we lose our salvation, we are claiming that His powers of an advocate are limited only to those that ask for forgiveness.

The salvation provided us through Christ includes glorification. The believers whom He knew, He predestined to the likeness of Christ, justified us and also glorified us. While glorification takes place in heaven, it is as if it is done, past tense. In Romans 8:30, He states, in part, “them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” Note that this is not spoken of in the present tense or in future tense but in past tense. According to the word of God, this is a done deal as He does not state in future tense “them he also WILL glorify.” He is not waiting to see if we deserve to be glorified based upon our actions, whether or not we repent, He states, in past tense, that He also glorifies. God does not live in time, those He foreknew, He glorified. He has completed the glorification in eternity. Christians have already been glorified.

Scripture also declares “If God be for us, who can be against us?” He delivered up His own Son for us. He, who paid an incredible price for our salvation, is not going to lose whom He saved. His salvation is not an incomplete salvation; it is a salvation that is so complete that the Word makes the claim that we are already glorified. It’s a done deal and no one can stop the glorification that He has stated will take place.

What then can separate us from Him? Sin? This very question is answered in Romans 8:38-39. Neither death, life, angels, principalities, powers, nothing present or things to come, etc. shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is found in Christ Jesus. In these two verses, everything possible that could possibly separate us from Him is listed and He says, no, nothing will separate us.

How about ourselves as some claim? There are some that claim that we have the ability to walk away from His salvation once we have possessed it, that the loss of salvation is based upon the sin in the life of the Christian. Well, He does say “nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God” and “any other creature” includes the Christian himself. He is stating in unequivocal terms that absolutely NOTHING will able to separate us from His love, which is found in Christ Jesus. Salvation is not salvation unless it includes glorification and He said that He has already glorified us (in eternity).

Lastly, the Word states that He has sealed us “2 Corinthians 1:22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.” He has stamped His image on our hearts, therefore marking us and sealing us as His property. “Earnest money, a pledge, something which stands for part of the price and paid beforehand to confirm the transaction. Used in the NT only in a figurative sense and spoken of the Holy Spirit which God has given to believers in this present life to assure them of their future and eternal inheritance. (from ‘The Complete WordStudy Dictionary’”). Sealing is the mark of ownership, He has sealed us unto the day of redemption Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Forgiveness of sin is a settled fact through what the Lord did on the cross. We have no power to remove the seal of God that signifies ownership. We have no power to stop what He claimed He finished. He said what has been given to Him, He will not lose. He is not going to allow you to be lost, we do not have the power to take away what He owns, after all He had to die a most horrible and gruesome death, take your sin upon Him. At that moment, when He took our sins upon Him, He said it is finished! He finished what He came to do and there is no power in anybody to remove His seal from what belongs to Him. We do not have the power to take from God what belongs to Him. Based upon the seal that He placed upon what He owns, He has already glorified and sealed in eternity. Once sealed, we become His property. Nobody, even the believer, has the power to take away ownership from the hand of God.

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