What a confluence of events! Just recently I participated in two forums from two extremely different platforms on the question of whether or not a Christian can lose his or her salvation. Naturally this question only applies to believers in the Lord because unbelievers don’t have salvation to lose. At any rate, both debates were lively. And while an informal survey showed that those who believe you cannot lose your salvation—the “security in Christ proponents”—significantly outnumber those who believe you can—yes, the “insecurity in Christ proponents”—a designation that they don’t much like—individuals on both sides were quite passionate and, yes, totally unmovable in their positions.
What is the confluence? The confluence is that old Dr. Mackey (or Reverend Mackey) happens to be a writer whose presently published and forthcoming books carry as one of their themes the fact salvation cannot be lost. My approach is to use the Book of Romans—admittedly a book that lots of Christians love and love to bypass in grace preaching, teaching and discussions—to show the vast amount of grace that we are under as Christians. My simple reasoning is that because we are under so much grace, how can we possibly lose salvation?
Well, I have had my feelings hurt several times. But I got off some punches and blows too. As a matter of fact, debates in both forums essentially closed with me having the last words. So I am not so hurt now, but I am trying to heel up from all of the assaults. You see, I was naïve enough to think that if I told my fellow forum contributors that I had written several books that indulge the “Can you lose your salvation question,” I would be able to soften them and even cower some of them down some. Saints, it didn’t work. And it is just as well. They are children of God. And we should not be too quick to shift from one doctrinal perspective to another.
Nonetheless, the issue of whether one can lose their salvation is an important one. It is one that we ought to have answered and answered uniformly in the negative by now. It has been around for centuries. And it is dogging the Christian Church, the Body of Christ, when we should be trampling it under our feet. Jesus did not die the hard and brutal death He died that we might do our usual “apples and oranges” discussions on this question. And a cursory study of God’s conduct of, for instance, Abraham’s salvation reveals that He is fanatical—yes, fanatical—about making anti-grace impressions in His actions. As importantly, Christ gave us a great apostle—“Who?” Christ, I said—indeed the greatest of all the apostles—to reckon that such issues like security in Christ were nailed to the cross. And, like the sin of the world that Christ took down in that grave with Him, the old insecurity in Christ idea did not get up when the Savior was raised from the dead.
However, until we make the Book of Romans and its grace oriented counterpart—the Book of Ephesians—the “get on” and “get off” points for answers about God’s grace--we will continue wondering around in our little wildernesses of ignorance and stubbornness on the topic.
Yes, this is all so strong, too strong, I might add. But react to it. Fight for the integrity of your position by doing battle with my assaults from the Book of Romans. I have already published three books. And two others are making their way through the publication process. So let the preacher-writer have your spiritual ears and eyes on this subject. For miracles walk hand in hand with grace preaching.
God bless you,
Eric Mackey
What is the confluence? The confluence is that old Dr. Mackey (or Reverend Mackey) happens to be a writer whose presently published and forthcoming books carry as one of their themes the fact salvation cannot be lost. My approach is to use the Book of Romans—admittedly a book that lots of Christians love and love to bypass in grace preaching, teaching and discussions—to show the vast amount of grace that we are under as Christians. My simple reasoning is that because we are under so much grace, how can we possibly lose salvation?
Well, I have had my feelings hurt several times. But I got off some punches and blows too. As a matter of fact, debates in both forums essentially closed with me having the last words. So I am not so hurt now, but I am trying to heel up from all of the assaults. You see, I was naïve enough to think that if I told my fellow forum contributors that I had written several books that indulge the “Can you lose your salvation question,” I would be able to soften them and even cower some of them down some. Saints, it didn’t work. And it is just as well. They are children of God. And we should not be too quick to shift from one doctrinal perspective to another.
Nonetheless, the issue of whether one can lose their salvation is an important one. It is one that we ought to have answered and answered uniformly in the negative by now. It has been around for centuries. And it is dogging the Christian Church, the Body of Christ, when we should be trampling it under our feet. Jesus did not die the hard and brutal death He died that we might do our usual “apples and oranges” discussions on this question. And a cursory study of God’s conduct of, for instance, Abraham’s salvation reveals that He is fanatical—yes, fanatical—about making anti-grace impressions in His actions. As importantly, Christ gave us a great apostle—“Who?” Christ, I said—indeed the greatest of all the apostles—to reckon that such issues like security in Christ were nailed to the cross. And, like the sin of the world that Christ took down in that grave with Him, the old insecurity in Christ idea did not get up when the Savior was raised from the dead.
However, until we make the Book of Romans and its grace oriented counterpart—the Book of Ephesians—the “get on” and “get off” points for answers about God’s grace--we will continue wondering around in our little wildernesses of ignorance and stubbornness on the topic.
Yes, this is all so strong, too strong, I might add. But react to it. Fight for the integrity of your position by doing battle with my assaults from the Book of Romans. I have already published three books. And two others are making their way through the publication process. So let the preacher-writer have your spiritual ears and eyes on this subject. For miracles walk hand in hand with grace preaching.
God bless you,
Eric Mackey
To learn more about security in salvation through Jesus Christ, purchase my series of books on the waves of God's righteousness at www.brandnewthinkingaboutgrace.com.
