Perhaps I am a slow learner, but it just occurred to me recently that the Calvinistic doctrine of eternal security, while germane to Calvinism, is not limited to a Calvinistic theology. Even an Arminian could hold to the doctrine of eternal security (once saved always saved) while disagreeing with the Calvinists on the question of how people become saved. Arminians could hold that it is impossible for someone whose spirit has been regenerated by the Spirit to fall away without accepting the Calvinist notion that God alone determines who will be regenerated. The question of how we are saved (monergism or synergism) is separate from the question of the permanence of salvation. It could be true that humans have to freely respond to God’s offer of grace before God saves them (synergism), and that once saved, a person will always persevere to the end. There is no logical incompatibility between these two positions.
July 25, 2012
Even Arminians Can Believe in Eternal Security
Posted by jasondulle under Calvinism v Arminianism, Theology[8] Comments
July 25, 2012 at 2:37 pm
This is true, but the Calvinist doctrine was always a meaningless tautology (“If you will be saved, then you will be saved”) in the first place. That’s because Calvinism makes no claim that you can know, right now, that you are actually saved in the “final” sense to which they refer when they talk about security.
It’s like calling the phrase “If you have a parachute inside that parachute bag, then you’ll survive the drop” a kind of “security,” under such conditions that you’re unable to check inside the parachute bag to confirm whether it’s a parachute or just laundry.
July 25, 2012 at 3:25 pm
How is Calvinism a tautology? What’s tautologous about saying that if God regenerates your spirit, you will believe, and that faith will persevere until the end? How one knows whether or not they are part of the elect is another matter, but even then, it’s not a tautology. According to Calvinism, you can know that you are elect because your works will demonstrate it. in the same way dead people don’t do jumping jacks, spiritually dead people don’t walk in righteousness. So if you are walking in righteousness in faith, then you can know you are part of the elect.
Jason
July 25, 2012 at 4:14 pm
In Hebrews Ch. 6 the writer speaks of those who were 1. Enlightened 2. Partakers of the Holy Ghost, and 3. Tasted of the good word of God and the powers of the world to come. The writer then leaves open the possibility of “falling away”, which seem to be rejecting Christ and returning to Judaism. I do not think we can say he was never truly regenerated; the writer’s choice of words does not logically lead to that conclusion. Is he still saved anyway, even though he has not “continued in the way”, which is a prerequisite Jesus gave to being saved?
July 25, 2012 at 5:03 pm
James,
I agree that Hebrews 6, along with many other passages, seem to clearly teach that it is possible to lose one’s salvation. I am just pointing out that belief in eternal security is not logically inconsistent with other aspects of Arminian theology. What truly divides Calvinism from Arminianism is the monergism vs. synergism debate.
Jason
July 25, 2012 at 6:57 pm
how one is saved is not the entirety of calvinism-its most ardently argued point today is that once a forgiveness from sin & acceptance of christ relationship with the Lord is established- it is unrevokable -arminians do not believe that said relationship can under no circumstances be revoked
July 25, 2012 at 7:08 pm
i agree however with your title which makes a different point than the text- it is possible by continuing in the word-continuing to believe(the disciples believed in jn 2 at the outset of christs ministry-but later had to believe the resurrection to continue being saved)& continuing to have the Lord & not the returned old life as their master-THEN they can rest absolutely sure in their security
July 26, 2012 at 12:30 pm
Sonny,
I agree that there is no real historical connection between the doctrines of synergism and perseverence of the saints, since Arminians tend to affirm the former and deny the latter, while Calvinists deny the former and affirm the latter. My point is that there is no logical contradiction between the two, such that a person who is Arminian in their view of how one comes to be saved could also believe that once a person is saved they will persevere to the end.
The Arminian could reason like this: While man must freely accept God’s salvation in order to be saved, once saved, it is impossible to fall away given the nature of salvation. In the same way a human baby can never become “unborn” once born, a person can never become spiritually “unborn” once they have been born again. Regeneration seems irreversible. How could sin reverse it? What did Jesus shed His blood for? Sins. If Jesus’ blood cancels out our sins, how can our sin cancel out His blood? Either His blood covers our sins or it doesn’t. If it doesn’t cover our sins then we’re not saved. If it does cover our sins, how can sinning uncover His blood?
Whether anyone agrees with the reasoning or not, or disagrees that either synergism or perseverence is taught in Scripture, I think it goes to show that the doctrines are compatible, and one could be a “Calminian” of sorts.
Jason
August 7, 2012 at 5:01 am
Jason,
I thought it was the reversal – that if one is not a believer at the end, you are not saved and so Calvanists say that you were never saved whereas Arminians claim that you lost your salvation. The key is that whichever is held true, perseverence is required.
For an example, there are people who believed, prayed & healed people in the name of Christ yet have now walked away denying Christ. Are they saved? No, since they do not believe and deny Christ.
Either way, both doctrines are incorrect in there extremetis, and a healthy view is to hold them in tension.