Introduction
In a previous article, I briefly discussed the doctrinal position of perseverance of the saints, eternal security, or, once saved, always saved.1 Here, however, I will address it more completely.
The doctrine of eternal security teaches that once a person experiences salvation, nothing can cause him to lose that status. Millard J. Erickson states: “The Calvinist position is both clear and forthright on this matter: ‘They, whom God hath accepted in His Beloved, effectually called, and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved’ ” (Westminster Confession of Faith 17.1).2
Henry C. Thiessen further states: “Concerning such it affirms that they shall ‘never totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace.’ This is not equivalent to saying that they shall never backslide, never fall into sin, and never fail to show forth the praises of Him Who has called them out of darkness into His marvelous light. It merely means that they will never totally fall away from the state of grace into which they have been brought, nor fail to return from their backsliding in the end.”3
Like limited atonement, Augustine popularized the doctrine of perseverance of the saints in the fifth century A.D. The Roman Catholic Church eventually adopted his teaching on this subject as official doctrine. It was the commonly accepted position at the time of the Protestant Reformation. Leaders of the Reformation, such as John Calvin, also accepted and promoted it along with a number of other pre-Reformational Roman Catholic doctrines and practices. In this way, eternal security has come down into the doctrinal systems of many modern Protestant denominations today.
The Arminian/Wesleyan/Holiness tradition, and the Assemblies of God that grew out of it, have both historically rejected the belief in eternal security. The official AG Web site states, “The Assemblies of God has taken a stand against the teaching that God’s sovereign will completely overrides man’s free will to accept and serve Him. In view of this we believe it is possible for a person once saved to turn from God and be lost again.”4
Even though the Assemblies of God has taken a strong and unequivocal official position, our people may not understand this doctrine or our position on this issue. People in our congregations often work with people who believe in eternal security. They need to know how to respond to the beliefs of their coworkers. Therefore, it is important for pastors to teach the arguments used by proponents of perseverance of the saints/eternal security, the appropriate responses to their assertions, and the biblical basis for our position: Believers can voluntarily forfeit their salvation by turning away from the lordship of Christ.
There are, to be sure, varying beliefs concerning eternal security within Calvinism. For example, one extreme view argues that God will take a believer home because he will not straighten out his life and he has become an embarrassment to God. Others who believe in eternal security, however, do not believe that eternal security gives license to sin: “On the other hand, however, our understanding of the doctrine of perseverance allows no room for indolence or laxity. It is questionable whether anyone who reasons, ‘Now that I am a Christian, I can live as I please,’ has really been converted and regenerated. Genuine faith issues, instead, in the fruit of the Spirit.”5
