Doctrine of Eternal Salvation
by
TGCM Church Worldwide ™
Preface
The Doctrine of Grace and Eternal Salvation is the official doctrine of the TGCM Church Worldwide. Individuals who have been taught the doctrine that believers can lose their salvation and be lost may not agree with our doctrine and may want to challenge it. TGCM is not interested in having the age old debate over this doctrinal issue that has been raging for centuries. Rather, TGCM will simply state that anyone who represents TGCM (teacher or minister) must teach our doctrine.
Introduction:
Our point of view is that it is necessary to discuss and contradict the teaching offered by many churches and denominations that a saved person can sin, backslide, and lose their salvation. The reason, the Arminianism Doctrine robs the believer of their security in God and places the responsibility upon the believer for ensuring that they remain saved. Worse yet, some who believe in the Arminianism Doctrine may not actually be saved at all since true salvation is by grace through faith alone. Furthermore, if they are saved, they never can truly enjoy the great truth of liberty and being free in Christ. Also, one’s position on this issue influences what they believe the Bible says and how they teach others. This point is critical to the message of the True Gospel. It is critical as Christians that we know who we are. We need to know our awesome standing with God. We are powerful in God because we have the Holy Spirit with us constantly. Our enemy (Satan) is defeated and we stand in victory purchased by the blood of the Lamb and our lives hid in Christ’s righteousness.
We want our church members to know that when one is in Christ they are at Liberty. They are Free! They can concentrate on spreading the Good News of God’s love rather than constantly worrying about their own standing before God. This is a critical point. Liberty and freedom create joy, excitement, and energy. They are worth sharing with others. Telling others about the Good News of God’s great love is the most important thing we can do for God. That is why TGCM has taken the time to create this document to explain in detail that a believer has eternal, never ending life through faith in Jesus Christ. That their eternal destiny is settled once and for all and that God takes the responsibility for ensuring that the believer has a great future in heaven.
Arminianism
The belief or doctrine known as Arminianism was developed
by Dutch theologian Jacobus Arminius, 1560-1609 and a later version which was
adopted by John Wesley. The original theory had two versions:
1. one could be saved, then lost, and then be saved again, and
2. one could be saved, and if lost, they would be lost forever.
The latter was not popular and soon gave way to the first version.
To begin our discussion, let’s look at the thought process of those who believe in Arminianism.
Understanding the Thought Process
No discussion is complete without addressing the major thought process of those who believe in Arminianism, who look at the same scriptures in a different way than do Calvinist and those who believe in the Reformed Doctrine.
Arminianism says that someone who is saved has the ability and power to exercise their will over God’s and sin, backslide, and be lost. One who believes this doctrine can read Romans 8:35 -39 (nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ) and they add … but our own willful decisions can. It is not there in the text, nor is it in the Greek, or any other manuscript.
It is their interpolation projected on the awesome statements of Paul. They believe they must [THEMSELVES] constantly keep themselves saved by living holy lives and not sinning. They actually believe that someone who sins is separated from Christ love? (The Bible says, “while we were sinners, lost - God love us so much that He had Christ die for us”). Isn’t there an obvious disconnect here?
They claim that Luke 8:13 is the key verse that believers can lose their salvation, “believe for a while then fall away”. Again, no where is it stated that this person was regenerated or had a saving faith in Christ. If this verse actually means that the person can lose their salvation then all of the verses listed in the section below instantly become null and void and the Bible stands in contradiction of itself. Perhaps there is another way of looking at that verse that keeps the scriptures of the Bible consistent and cohesive. The key to understanding Luke 8:13 is to remember that there is no mention that those who “fell away” had any fruits (which are the evidence and result of true saving faith). This is clearly stated in Luke it they read on to verse 15, the Word fell on good ground and they bared fruit. For verse 13 there is also no specific mention of losing salvation anywhere, because there is no salvation because there was no fruits. That is implied only by those who embrace Arminianism. Furthermore and more concrete is that it says in 2 Timothy 2:13 that even if we are unfaithful to Christ, He still remains faithful to us – because we belong to Him. (As a note: the Greek word used in that verse is apistoumen and in the context of that verse means unfaithful). A key note here is that salvation is not an ongoing process, it is an instant act as clearly stated in John 5:24. If someone stops believing after they are saved, they remain saved because they had believed (past tense)and were sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13, 14). They are kept by God (a saved person cannot lose the Holy Spirit as stated in John 14:16). If they could, then Eph 1:13-14 would be in error (since it says until the Day of redemption).
Chastening
and Kept
Man’s Will vs. God’s Will
Believers who have a saving faith in Christ have eternal life and will be new creations, have the Holy Spirit, bare fruit, be chastened and disciplined by God, and will be kept by God. If, they sin and fail to repent of their sins as Children of God they do not “fall away” rather they are judge and chastened by God to preserve them (2 Corinthians 11:31-32). Of course that brings us back the critical and central theme of Arminianism and that is the will of man always overrides the will of God. But oh how wrong they are, for chastening to preserved the saved is not done at man’s will but at God’s. He chastens us even to early death so that we are not condemned by our sin and rebellious actions. A man cannot tell God, “… do not chasten me to save me!”
Also, the Arminianism belief that the will of man always overrides the will of God is completely contradicted not only by chastening (as stated above) but is challenged even further by 1 Cor 6:19-20 where Paul states that we are bought with a price and that we are not our own, we are God’s purchased possession.
Destroying God’s Work
To say we can fall away (as to mean lose our salvation and be re-condemn and lost), is the same as saying that the good work God had started in us was not finished - when the Bible clearly says it will be continued. Strangely enough, there is not actual written qualifier to that promise that says unless we of our will stop Him. Of course that brings us back the critical and central theme of Arminianism and that is the will of man always overrides the will of God.
Using
Paul’s
Warnings
To teach and defend Arminianism requires that one use New Testament warnings to Christians as their proof. For example, two verses they often quote are Hebrews 6:4 (if they shall fall away) and Galatians 5:4 (ye have fallen from grace). Hebrews 6:4 is written about Jewish people who have considered the Christian life but then reject it. Then in Galatians, Paul in anger is saying how can one start in Grace and then continue in the law – they have fallen from the doctrine of grace into a legalistic doctrine.
Then they point to Revelations 22:19. There are three theological views on this verse:
1. First: Such individuals could not be saved and will not enter the blessings set forth for the redeemed.
2. Second: Believers in Christ have fulfilled the purpose of the Bible, that being the redemption of mankind and have by their faith in God’s redemptive plan of salvation in Jesus Christ have “kept the words of this book”.
3. Third view is a key and that is concerning the Book of Life itself. The Book of life is a record of everyone born on this earth. Believer’s (those who have accepted Christ as their Savior) are retained in the book of life. The unsaved are the ones who are blotted out. See Psalms 69:28: "Let them be blotted out of the book of the living and not be written with the righteous." (The righteous are those who obeyed by having faith in the gospel and accepting Jesus Christ.) Also, nowhere in the Bible does it talk about the actual writing of names into the book of life. Everyone’s name is in the Book of Life and it is when a person rejects Christ and does not accept God’s plan of salvation and die in their sins that their names are removed or blotted out. (Refer also to Psalms 9:5: “You have blotted out their name forever and ever.”) Follow this process then from Rev 22:19 to Rev 3:5, then to I John 5:4-5, and then into John 6:47, then to John 5:24, and finally into 1 John 5:13.
If someone takes a few verses in the Bible and says that they mean that a saved person can lose their salvation, then that causes a contradiction of over 100 other verses in the New Testament that say otherwise. Therefore, again the promises become null and void and the Bible must stand in contradiction of itself and therefore would lose its divinely inspired status.
Then of course, there are the warnings about sin and walking in the flesh that Paul wrote about. (It is important to take into account that a believer’s actions and works will be judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ and not the White Throne Judgment.) With this in mind, to understand the meaning of these verses requires that the reader approach their interpretation using the “continuity principle” (all scripture must be read so that it is logical, connected, cohesive, and offers an uninterrupted succession or flow of truth).
Under the New Covenant
A key point here, it is critical contextually to remember that God’s elect (believers in Christ) are under grace in the New Testament. Many preach the Old Testament as if it applies to those who are under Grace when in fact many of those scriptures are specific to Israel’s covenant with God. Yes, most of the Old Testament applies to God’s dealings with Israel and were written under a different dispensation. And NO! They do not apply to the Christian under grace.
What many who believe in Arminianism fail to realize about both the Calvin Doctrine and the Reformed Doctrine of Eternal Salvation is that both of the latter doctrines emphasize and expound Paul’s teaching that believers are expected to live according to their new spiritual lives and not to continue freely practicing sin. They (people who believe in Arminianism) fail to make the connection that both of the latter doctrines with Paul when he says “do not be overly wicked and sinful, why should you die before your time”, and “for this reason some are sick and some have died”, and finally “God turns you over to Satan for the destruction of the body so that the soul can be saved in the last day”.
Consequences for a Sinful Believer
God does chasten and purge His children. There are consequences when a believer lives a wicked and sinful life, those consequences include loss of their rewards in heaven, loss of joy, sickness, early death, and so on, but the chastening and judgment of their Father, God never results in eternal damnation for His children. If God does not chasten someone, then there is good reason to question their salvation to begin with.
Reversing the Salvation Process
Getting back to the Arminianism belief that we can destroy and eliminate our new birth in Christ by sin and personal choice, if we must keep some commandment, live according to a set of rules, perfect ourselves by not sinning, then there is no way we are saved by Grace. Furthermore, if one does agree that we cannot be saved by what we do (but rather by Grace), how do we keep ourselves for heaven by following laws and rules that we are dead to? Again, if our sin can cause one to lose their salvation, how many times are they going to have to be re-justified, re-glorified, or re-perfected? Then, how many times are they going to be born again? How many times are they going to be sealed again and again with the Holy Spirit? This type of thought process and doctrine makes the finished work of Christ ineffective. Furthermore, if God is the author and finisher of our faith and salvation, the Arminianism thought process by default denies the power and ability of God’s work in us.
Paul says in Galatians that those who teach a legalistic doctrine that requires the following of a way of life, code, creed, the law, etc. are accursed by God. These teachings made Paul angry (read Galatians). He restates his encounter with Peter when he accused Peter to his face of being the blame for some of these teachings. He says in essence, how can you be saved completely by God’s love and mercy (GRACE) and then keep yourself by the works of righteousness and/or the law?
Critical Questions
Individuals who believe that one can lose their salvation often try to defend their belief by throwing “logic” or “situational” questions at someone who believes in Eternal Salvation. That’s because the doctrine of Arminianism requires one to think in logical worldly terms in order to find a basis for its existence. Arminianism cannot be supported using the scriptures without a worldly view or interpretation of certain Bible verses. These interpretations then make the Bible stand in contradiction of itself. The truth is they are the ones who have some very critical and logical questions concerning the belief in Arminianism that they need to provide answers to – and the answers require that they can point to clearly written answers in the scripture.
TGCM
View on this
Doctrine
In our opinion, the Arminianism type of doctrinal interpretation makes the Bible inconsistent. It has to, since there is no other option or explanation. It cannot be both ways. There is a total and obvious disconnect in declaring that salvation is totally by GRACE not works, then saying it can be lost or taken away by works or actions. The Bible states over and over that believers who have experienced saving faith in Christ are not capable of losing, forsaking or walking away from salvation. Salvation is an act performed and completed by God not by man. Saving faith in Christ requires the new birth. We surrender of our will to God’s. We are purchased, sealed, and God executes His good works and plan in our lives as His Children.
Getting deeper into doctrinal discussions, in the New Testament, the believer in Christ is proclaimed to be God’s elect – and God will not impute sin on their account. The reason, how do you sin without the law? Paul says there is no sin where there is no law.
John says that those who are born of God cannot sin. Paul goes into detail about
this conflict when he says the old man (our flesh – our sinful nature) is
constantly sinning, but is dead to God. God only sees our new man (inward
spiritual man which is perfect in His eyes). This is a mystery and key
point that Paul makes that many do not understand. Believers do not present
their old man (flesh and worldly) before God, they present their new man
(perfect and righteous in Christ). Believer’s lives are hid in Christ and they
have been sanctified, justified, and have put on Christ’s righteousness – not
their
own.
Conclusion
In conclusion, TGCM Church Worldwide firmly and totally rejects the Arminianism doctrine of losing one’s salvation and we teach a Reformed Doctrine of Eternal Salvation (once saved by faith, always kept by God). Our doctrine declares that a true believer (one who has had a saving faith – not intellectual faith) is eternally secure; that they can't lose their salvation. We also believe that sin may interrupt the joy of salvation and union with our God. We believe continued sinning will bring Gods loving judgment, chastening, and discipline into the believer’s life. However, believers are preserved and kept by the power of God unto eternal salvation.
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Eternal Salvation
A Scriptural Basis for Our Doctrine
The following apply to the Believer in Christ
(the moment they are saved)
|
Not Under Law – Under GRACE |
Sealed by the Holy Spirit |
Has Old Man & New (inward) Man |
Perfect in God’s Eyes / Saints |
Justified Before God |
Has Been Redeemed |
Has Christ’s Righteousness |
|
Romans 6:14 Romans 7:4 Romans 10:4 Romans 11:6 Galatians 2:9 Galatians 3:25 Ephesians 2:8-9
Under a New Covenant Hebrews 9:1, 15
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Ephesians 1:13 Ephesians 4:30 Ephesians 5:5 Romans 8:26-27 1 Corinthians 6:9
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Ephesians 3:16 Ephesians 4:24 Romans 6:6 Romans 7:14-25 2 Corinthians 4:16 |
Romans 1:7 Galatians 3:27 Ephesians 5:27 Hebrews 6:1 Hebrews 10:14
Beyond hearing – with a saving faith
Colossians 1:22
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Romans 8:30 Romans 5:1 Romans 4:21-25 Romans 1:17 Romans 3:24 Galatians 2:16-17 Titus 3:5-7
Sanctified by God
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 1 Corinthians 1:2, 6:11 Hebrews 10:10 |
Romans 3:24 Romans 4:5 Romans 8:30 Galatians 3:13 Galatians 2:16 Titus 2;14 Titus 3:7 John 5:24 1 Corinthians 6:20 Galatians 5:24
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Philippians 3:9 2 Corinthians 5:21 Romans 3:26 Romans 3;22 Romans 4:6 Romans 4:24 Philippians 3:9
Believers are Holy
Colossians 3:12 Hebrews 3:1 1 Peter 2:9 Revelations 20:6 |
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Develops Fruits of the Spirit |
Have an Inheritance |
Are Sheep in His Flock |
Are at Liberty |
At Peace with God |
Have Already Overcome |
Are a New Creation |
|
Galatians 5:22 -23 Ephesians 5:9 |
Ephesians 1:18 Ephesians 1:11,14 1 Peter 1:4 Hebrews 1:14 Hebrews 9:15 |
Luke 12:32 1 Peter 2:25 Hebrews 13:20 John 10:27 |
Galatians 5:1 Galatians 5:13 2 Corinthians 3:17 Romans 8:15 1Corinthians 7:22 2 Corinthians 3:17 |
Romans 5:14 Ephesians 2:14
God is for them Romans 8:28, 31 |
1 John 5:4-5
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2 Corinthians 5:17 Ephesians 4:24 Colossians 3:10 Colossians 1:13 |
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Heirs of God |
Are Chastened and Disciplined |
God Creates Their Works |
Puts on Christ Belong to Him |
Kept by God |
Sinless and Hid in Christ |
Are the ELECT Of God |
|
Galatians 3:29 Ephesians 3:6 |
Hebrews 12:5-6 1 Corinthians 11:31-32 |
Philippians 2:13 Ephesians 2:10 John 6:28-29 Hebrews 13:21 Romans 4:5
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Galatians 3:27 2 Corinthians 3:18 1 Corinthians 3:23 Romans 8:10 1 Corinthians 7:23 2 Corinthians Purchased of God – We Belong to 1 Corinthians
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1 Peter 1:5 Jude 1 Jude 24 2 Thessalonians 3:3 1 Corinthians 1:4-8 1 Thessalonians 5:24 John 6:37-40
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1 John 3:9 Romans 4:15 Romans 5:13 Colossians 3:3 1 Peter 1:23 |
Ephesians 1:5, 11 Romans 8:33 – 34 1 Corinthians 3:23 1 Corinthians 6:19 2 Thessalonians 2:13 Colossians 3:12 |
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Eternally Secure / Possess Eternal Life |
Great Future in Heaven |
Are Children & Sons of God |
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John 10:27-28 1 John 5:13 John 3:6 John 3:16 John 5:24 John 6:47 Romans 5:10 Romans 11:29 2 Timothy 4:18 2 Timothy 2:13 Titus 1:2 1 Thessalonians 5:24 John 6:37-40 |
1 Corinthians 2:9 Revelation 3:4-5 Revelation 1:6 Revelation 3:10 Philippians 3:20 Romans 8:18 1 Thessalonians 2:14 1 Peter 1:4 John 14, 2-3 |
Galatians 3:26 1 John 3:2 John 1:12-13 Romans 8:16 Ephesians 5:8 2 Thessalonians 5:5 James 1:18 1 Peter 1:3 I John 1:5 1 Peter 2:2 |
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