Sunday 3 June 2018

Once Saved Always Saved

Arminian's* are those who teach that man has a free will; they deny the absolute sovereignty of God, and that He has chosen in eternity past an elect people, and that Christ bore their sins only. They deny the total depravity of man, as they insist that man has the capacity in himself to accept Christ as Saviour by a decision of their own making. They flagrantly disregard clear and plain teaching in God's written word as is clearly evidenced by the following Scriptures; John 1.13, 6.44, 8.36, Romans 9.16 etc..
To borrow Arthur W. Pink's words, "Where any teacher or preacher is unsound on these basic truths, no confidence must be placed in him on any other subject. If he is all wrong at the foundations, his superstructure is bound to be faulty.

"No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him." John 6.44 (my emphasis).

If only believers would dwell on those words as they do with John 3.16! No man! this one verse alone should settle the matter, but apparently not! how many today teach that a true believer can fall away and perish is, well, quite beyond me. What kind of Head would He be if any of the members of His mystical body could be torn from Him? What kind of Shepherd would He be, if a single sheep of His flock could be left behind to perish in the wilderness? What kind of Physician would He be, if any patient under His hand were in the end found to be incurable? What kind of High Priest would He be, if any name written on His heart were found wanting when He makes up His jewels? What kind of Husband would He be, if He and any soul once united to Him by faith were ever put asunder?
As William Gurnall (1655) said:

"How well do they consult for Christ's honour that say His sheep may die in a ditch of final apostasy?
"Christ and His members make one Christ. Now, is it possible a piece of Christ can be found at last burning in hell? Can Christ be a crippled Christ? Can this member drop off and that? How can Christ part with His mystical members and not with His glory?" (Taken from J.C. Ryle's Old Paths).

Those names in God's Book of Life can never be lost, for they have been pre-destined to glory.
God's elect will persevere to the end. Was it for nothing Peter said "..give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things ye shall never fall." 2 Peter 1.10?

*This is also the position of people who would call themselves "Biblicists", they think they are neither Calvinists nor Arminian, yet they are Arminian by default, for they know not what they affirm.

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