Apostasy & Divine Preservation:

Is it possible for a Christian 
to fall away?

By Darrell Ferguson
www.FoodForYourSoul.net

The reason the debate over eternal security and apostasy has persisted throughout the ages is because there are some very direct statements in Scripture that promise preservation and some very direct statements in Scripture that warn against falling away. The preservation passages seem to indicate that God promises to see to it that true believers will never fall. And the warning passages seem to indicate that the possibility of a true believer falling away is a real danger against which we must guard ourselves. This book is an attempt to bring out into the open both sets of passages and offer some possible ways of reconciling them.

The New Covenant:
God promised that we will be faithful 
YET 
We are warned against unfaithfulness

Divine Preservation:
It is up to God whether we continue to believe
YET
It us up to us whether we continue to believe

God promised to preserve us to the end
YET
We are warned against the real possibility of falling

Nothing can separate us from Him
YET
We are responsible to see to it that we are not cut off

Nature of regeneration:
All the called end up glorified
YET
Some who believe fall away

Our Relationship with God:
He will not cast us out
YET
He may disown us

Apostates:
If they had been of us, they would have remained with us
YET
Those who have been sanctified are in danger of being destroyed as God’s enemies

Sovereign Grace:
The elect are predestined, foreknown, chosen and sealed
YET 
We must make our calling and election sure

INTRODUCTION

	Most people who study the topics of eternal security and apostasy do so to learn (or prove) whether or not it is possible for a true believer to “lose his salvation” or fall away from the faith. There is a desire to know what is possible and what is not possible for a true believer. And as is often the case, Scripture does not give a direct answer to the questions we want to ask. The Holy Spirit was much more concerned to teach us principles about security, preservation and perseverance than He was to answer our curiosities about possibilities and impossibilities. The main goal of this book is to refocus attention on the most important matters regarding this issue, and to discover the harmony that we know exists between the passages on both sides of the debate.
	The reason there is a debate is because there are passages that seem to indicate that once a person is saved, he is saved eternally. And there are also passages that seem to warn saved people from falling away and being lost. 
	When God gave us His perfect, holy Word, He gave us many things that are very plain and clear. He also gave us some truths that are difficult. Some passages are difficult to interpret, and some doctrines are hard to harmonize with other doctrines. In displaying His infinite wisdom, our Creator included some things in His Word that stretch and surpass the limits of human intellect.
	As a result, we live with certain tensions in the Christian life, such as the sovereignty of God and free will of man. We do not fully understand how God could determine that someone will do something, and yet that person is still free in his decision making regarding that thing (for example it was prophesied that Judas would betray Jesus and the Chief Priests would turn Him over to be crucified, and yet neither Judas nor the Chief Priests were coerced or forced, but chose to do what they did as an act of their own will).
	Another tension is between the promises of success in the Christian life and the inevitability of failure. Scripture has a lot to say about sanctification. But it also has a lot to say about to opposite of sanctification – our failures and sin. I. Howard Marshall calls it “the pathology of the Christian life.” God promises to make us holy, yet there is unholiness in our lives. Understanding how those go together is not easy. If I am faced with a choice and I choose to do the righteous thing rather than the sinful thing, that righteous choice is God’s doing. It is God who works in me both to will and to act (Php.2:13). But if that’s the case, what can we say about the times when I choose sin? Was it a failure on God’s part to work in me to will and to act the right way? Is God faltering in His efforts to sanctify me? Is His power to work in my heart lacking when my heart goes the wrong way? Of course not! 
	Man’s will is not so free that it rises above the purposes and workings of God. Man is not an ultimately self-determining being. Ultimate, final, sovereign control rests with the Almighty alone. However, nor is man’s will a mere façade that doesn’t really determine anything. When a person makes a decision to sin or do good, there is a very real sense in which that decision was the outcome of that person’s real, free (although limited) will. And when God attributes those decisions to that human being on Judgment Day, He will be correct and just in dong so.
	When we endeavor to offer an explanation for how to harmonize tensions like these in Scripture, great humility is needed. Too often each side in the debate will over-emphasize certain texts and explain away others, and then ridicule the other side for not being able to see the “clear” teaching of Scripture and for elevating “problem passages” above the plain and clear texts.
	The tragic outcome of this is the fact that many who are involved with these debates find themselves in an almost adversarial relationship with the “problem passages” for their side. When the Arminian comes across texts that seem elevate the sovereignty of God over man’s free will, instead of loving and treasuring those text more than his daily food (Job23:12), often he just struggles to find an explanation for how they don’t say what they seem to be saying. And when a Calvinist comes across passages that seem to fit the Arminian system, instead of craving those passages like pure, spiritual milk to feed his soul, many times he writes it off as an “obscure text.” 
	When it comes to the debate between eternal security and apostasy, I must confess that many times I have fallen into this very sin. I have been so concerned to prove my view that I have found myself spending more time trying to find explanations for the texts my opponents use than I have seeking to be fed by them.
	The first time I wrote this booklet my goal was simply to prove my view and to persuade others to adopt it. But over the years God, in His grace, has deepened my love for His Word – all of it – so that the more time goes by, the more I look at my Bible and see a baby bottle filled with nothing but life-giving, nourishing, sweet sustenance, rather than as a tool I can use to defeat my opponents. 
	When we recently ran out of copies and needed to print some more for those in our church who want to look into this subject, I was reluctant to do it. I was no longer comfortable with the approach I had taken, and decided I needed to re-write the booklet. So I took a week writing leave and went to a secluded place by myself with a single goal: to meditate on and find delight in and nourishment from the passages of Scripture that previously I had viewed as problems that needed to be solved. The result was one of the most gloriously wonderful times in God’s Word I have enjoyed in some time.
	No book will ever be written that will finally solve all our struggles to understand the deep mysteries of God. Debates that center around the paradoxes of Scripture will continue until the Lord comes again and we see face to face, instead of through an obscured mirror. It is my prayer that this book will help those on both sides of the debate experience some of what I experience on my writing leave:
1)	A hefty dose of humility. Many great exegetes and scholars, men and women who sincerely love the Lord and who have great skill in interpreting it, have been on both sides of this debate. If a person on either side imagines that the whole issue is very simple and those on the other side are fools, he is probably not taking all the various passages seriously.
2)	A deepened appreciation and love for those passages of Scripture that support the other side of the debate.
3)	A richer, deeper and fuller theology. The various sides of the tensions and paradoxes of Scripture protect us from drifting into extremes that err on one side or the other. Just as the human responsibility passages protect the high Calvinist from drifting into apathy or fatalism and the divine sovereignty passages keep the Arminian from drifting into man-centered, works righteousness religion, so it should be in this debate. The security passages should comfort and encourage us and provide profound hope, and the warning passages should motivate us to make every effort to persevere. 

In an effort to synthesize these passages, at least four major views have emerged. Two of those views (those I am referring to in this booklet as the “extreme” views), in my estimation, represent serious theological error. I will mention those views only briefly. The primary purpose of this booklet is to address the other two views.
The Extreme Views
	The first of the extreme views over-emphasizes the danger of apostasy. It suggests that salvation is lost or cancelled out by sin. Some go so far as to say that every time a believer sins, he becomes unsaved, and every time he repents, he gets his salvation back. A slightly more moderate version holds that salvation is only lost when the sin is serious enough. For example, one does not become lost by momentarily entertaining an incorrect thought about God, but he may become lost by committing murder. 
This view seriously misunderstands both sin and forgiveness. If salvation were lost through sin, no one would be saved, because we all sin. No one could ever have full awareness of every moment that he is falling short of the glory of God. We did not become Christians by stopping our sin, so we can not lose our salvation by sinning. Salvation is through faith. 
Leviticus 4 gives prescriptions for the sacrifices that covered sins people committed without realizing it. And since the purpose of the Old Testament sacrificial systems was to serve as a picture of Jesus’ sacrifice for us, we know that Jesus’ sacrifice also covers unwitting sins. 

	The other extreme view over-emphasizes security. It suggests that it is possible for a true Christian to ultimately fall away from the faith altogether, but if he does so, he will still go to heaven – even if he has no faith at all. According to this view, saving faith can be momentary. Once there has been a moment of faith, no matter what takes place after that, the person is saved.
This view ignores the many passages that clearly state that all unbelievers are lost. And the passages that describe the fate of apostates do not describe heaven. They describe hell. 
Perseverance and Apostasy
The purpose of this booklet is to explore two much more reasonable views. I will refer to them as the guaranteed preservation view and the conditional preservation view. Both of these views hold that a person must persevere and continue in faith to the end of his life in order to go to heaven. And both views acknowledge God as being sovereign over salvation and as the one who preserves our faith.
The guaranteed preservation view is the classic position of the reformers, commonly known as the doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints. 

1. The “Perseverance of the Saints” view

The classic Calvinist position is that once a person is genuinely saved, God will see to it that he will persevere in faith throughout his life. So there is no chance that he will be lost. If a person appears to fall away from the faith it just shows that he was never truly saved.

Weakness: 
This view has difficulty explaining the many passages that warn against apostasy. To hold this view one must assume one of the following:

•	Those passages are not really addressed to believers. They are warning false believers to persevere lest they fall away. But why tell false believers to persevere? Remaining as they are is the last thing they should do. They need to repent.
•	Those passages are addressed to true believers, but they warn only of loss of reward, not loss of salvation. But most scholars agree the language of these passages has to do with salvation, not just reward.
•	Those passages are warning true believers against actually falling away, but since all true believers will heed these warnings, that will never actually happen. So the warning passages warn us against something that is impossible.

Another weakness of this view is that it appears to be relatively recent. In an article in the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society (vol.34, no.2, p.213), entitled, THE PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS: A HISTORY OF THE DOCTRINE, John Jefferson Davis made a summary of the various significant works that have been done on the subject beginning with Augustine. The first emergence of the view that one can be assured he will never fall away is at the time of the Reformation. All those who wrote on the subject before this time believed that throughout this life one must face the real possibility of ultimately being lost. In the article, each of the writers before Calvin held the position that since apostasy is possible for the believer, we must pay close attention to the warning passages in Scripture. 
2. The “Rejection of Genuine Salvation” view
According to this view all the promises and benefits of salvation are conditioned on faith. And while faith is a gracious gift from God and is not humanly generated, nevertheless Scripture speaks of faith as man’s responsibility and something that man must choose to do. It is possible (though rare) for a genuine believer to reject faith altogether and be lost. God does promise to preserve our faith, but that promise is neither absolute nor automatic.

Weakness: 
This view seems to be in conflict with the passages that appear to promise guaranteed preservation and the eternality of salvation from the moment of conversion. It also has does not seem to fit naturally with doctrines like election.
**************

 So one of the most fundamental questions in this debate is whether final, complete preservation is guaranteed for the believer or not. If it is guaranteed, that raises questions as to why believers are warned against failing to persevere. If it is not guaranteed, that raises questions as to why it seems to be promised. The two sides of this question are seen in the following passages of Scripture:

The paradox of our perseverance and God’s preservation

We do not have the ability to cause ourselves to persevere apart from God’s preservation. However, our efforts to cling to Him do matter.

Imagine a father and his little 2-year-old walking in a very crowded carnival. The father is not content to just let the child hold his hand; he holds tightly to the child’s hand. The child’s grip alone is not strong enough. A bump from a stranger could pull it away, or a intriguing sight might cause the child to suddenly let go and run off. So the father grips the child’s hand tightly.

But that is not to say the child’s grip is unimportant. There is a big between the child holding her father’s hand or struggling to get away. The role of our grip on God’s hand is not that it supplies the strength to keep us close to Him, but that it is a signal of our desire to be close to Him. And for that reason it matters a great deal – particularly when we read passages that warn us that the evidence that we are true children is the earnestness with which we grasp His hand. 

Preservation
God promised the in the New Covenant He would cause His people to be faithful to Him. 
Jer 31:31-34 "The time is coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. 33 "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 

Ezek 11:19-21 "I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. 20 Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”
Despite the fact that we have free will, God is able to preserve us and has promised to do so.
2 Cor 1:21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. 

Jude 24-25 To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. 

2 Tim 1:12 I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. 

1 Cor 1:8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thess 5:23-24 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. 

Rom 14:4 Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 

2 Thess 3:3-5 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. 4 We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance. 

Phil 1:3-6 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 

1 Peter 1:3-5 he has given us new birth into a living hope … 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

John 6:37-40 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." 

1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. 

Apostasy

The admonitions to persevere imply there is a possibility that saving faith could be temporary
1 Cor.15:2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

Col.1:22-23 But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.

1 Tim 1:18-20 Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, 19 holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. 

Heb 3:14 We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.

Ro.11:22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.

2 Tim.2:12 if we endure, we will also reign with him. 

Rom.2:7  To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.

Heb 3:6 we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.

2 Pe.1:10 be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall

Jn.15:10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love 

Luke 8:15 the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

Jn.15:4 Remain in Me, and I will remain in you

I Jn 2:24 See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.

Heb 3:12 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. (Mark 16:16 whoever does not believe will be condemned.)…15 do not harden your hearts…

4:1 since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it…7 do not harden your hearts…14…therefore…let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

6:11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised

10:23-39 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering…35	So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

2 Pe.1:10 be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. 

3:17 be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position.

Jd.21 Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life

Rev 2:10 Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.
3:11 Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.

1 Tim 1:18-20 …fight the good fight, 19 holding on to faith 

Acts 11:23 he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.

Acts 13:43  Paul…urged them to continue in the grace of God.

Acts 14:22 …strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. 

1 Cor 10:12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!
Heb.12:1 let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us
15 See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many…25 See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. 

The Consequences of failing to persevere is hell, not just loss of reward:

John 15:6-11 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

2 Pet 2:20-21 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.
21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.

Rom 11:20-22 Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. 22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.

Heb 6:4-7 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6 and have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace… 8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.

Heb 10:26-39 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
29	How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God…
37 "He who is coming will come and will not delay. 38 But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him."

12:25 If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?

2 Tim 2:12 If we disown him, he will also disown us;

Rev 22:19 God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city 

Ex.32:33 The LORD replied to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book.

Matt 18:34-35 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart

Luke 12:46 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

Mt.25:30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth

Ro.8:12-13 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation-- but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die

1 Ti.3:6 he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.
Apostasy is not just a theoretical possibility, it has actually happened.
Luke 8:13 Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.

Heb 6:4-7 It is impossible for those who…6 have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance 

Gal.5:4 You who want to be justified by the law have been cut off from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.

2 Pet 2:20-21 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.
21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.

1 Tim 1:18-20 Timothy…fight the good fight, 19 holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. 20 Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

Col 2:19 He has lost connection with the Head

1 Tim 4:1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith 

Matt 24:10 many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,

1 Tim.5:15 Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.
Other Important Warning Passages
Ezek 33:12-20 "Therefore, son of man, say to your countrymen, 'The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns from it. The righteous man, if he sins, will not be allowed to live because of his former righteousness.' 13 If I tell the righteous man that he will surely live, but then he trusts in his righteousness and does evil, none of the righteous things he has done will be remembered; he will die for the evil he has done. 14 And if I say to the wicked man, 'You will surely die,' but he then turns away from his sin and does what is just and right—15 if he gives back what he took in pledge for a loan, returns what he has stolen, follows the decrees that give life, and does no evil, he will surely live; he will not die. 16 None of the sins he has committed will be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he will surely live. 17 "Yet your countrymen say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' But it is their way that is not just. 18 If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, he will die for it. 19 And if a wicked man turns away from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he will live by doing so. 20 Yet, O house of Israel, you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' But I will judge each of you according to his own ways."
(See also Ez.18:24-26 and 3:20,21)

1 Cor 9:27-10:14 
27	No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. 1	For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea...5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. 6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.
11	These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!

1 Co.5:5 hand this man over to Satan, so that…his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.

Matt 24:13 (Mk.13:13) he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
Luke 21:19 By standing firm you will gain life.
Matt 10:22 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
Rev 2:17 To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.
Rev 3:5 He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.
Rev 3:12 Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. 
Rev 3:21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, 
Rev 21:7 He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
Rev 22:11 let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy."

Mt.5:13 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

From the passages about preservation we see that God is not only willing and able to preserve our faith, but has promised to do so. From the passages on perseverance we find that genuinely saved individuals seem to be warned against the real possibility of falling away and being lost. 
	That means there are only two possibilities: Either 1) the warning passages are not warning believers against the real possibility of apostasy, or 2) the preservation passages are not guaranteeing final perseverance for every believer. 
	In the rest of this booklet I will try to show the passages that seem to be in tension, and explore possible explanations for how they might harmonize.

God promised that we will be faithful

TENSION REGARDING THE NEW COVENANT:

YET

We are warned against unfaithfulness

Rom 11:20-22 they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. 22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.

Jer 31:31-34 "The time is coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. 33 "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 

Ezek 11:19-21 "I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. 20 Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”

Possible Solutions:

False Branches
One possible way to harmonize these two sets of passages is to assume the comments in Romans 11 are directed to those who imagine themselves to be saved but who are not. (Moo, Piper) 
	This view has several problems. First, verse 20 says “you stand by faith.” Those being addressed are people who have been grafted into the tree and who now stand by faith. There is no false, non-saving kind of faith that will cause a person to be grafted into the tree of God’s people.
	Secondly, the clear message to these people is that they are to continue as they are (v.22). If the purpose were to address hypocrites who imagine themselves to be saved but who are not genuinely born again, the last thing they should do is to continue on as they are. The message of Scripture to people like that is to repent and turn from that hypocrisy. 
	
Test of Genuineness 
Another solution is to assume all who profess faith are being addressed – both true Christian and false. And the purpose of the text is to show the people which among them are truly saved. If you persevere all the way to the end, that is the proof that your faith was indeed real. (Bruce)
	The problem with this view is that it sets up a test that is of no use to anyone until it is too late. If I can’t find out for sure if I’m saved until I wait to see if I persevere to the end, then the only way to know if I’m saved is if then end comes. And the only way false believers can know that their faith is not real is when they ultimately turn away.
	Another difficulty with this view is the fact that it makes a distinction that is not made in the text. Nothing in the text indicates that those who are being addressed are those with an external attachment to the Church, both saved and unsaved. Just the opposite is true. The ones being addressed are those who “stand by faith” (v.20). That can only refer to genuine believers. It has to be genuine faith, because those without genuine faith are cut off (“they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith”). If that refers to a false, external-only attachment to God’s people, then the Jews wouldn’t have been cut off. The faith of v.20 must be the opposite of the unbelief of v.20. And to the very same group that is standing by means of true faith he says “you will be cut off” in v.22. The paragraph gives every indication that v.22 is referring to the same people as v.20.

Ethnic Groups, not Individuals
A third solution among those who deny the possibility of apostasy for believers is to suggest that this text is not applicable to individuals. Just as the Jewish race as a whole was cut off (with individual exceptions), so the Gentiles as a group could conceivably be cut off (with individual exceptions. (Godet, Hodge, Calvin)
	If the Gentiles as a whole were cut off, but with some exceptions, it is difficult to see what the difference would be between that and the situation as it is now. As it is the vast majority of Gentiles are cut off from God’s people, and only a tiny fraction are saved. 
	Secondly, it is difficult to understand how anything can happen to a corporate group as a whole without it also happening to the individuals who make up that group. If the group turns from faith to unbelief, how could that happen without the individual persons within that group turning from faith to unbelief? 

Warning Against Impossibility
	Some have suggested that this is a warning directed at true believers, warning them against ultimately falling away – even though that will never happen. According to this view, it is theoretically possible for a true Christian to fall away, but it will never actually happen, because God will cause all true believers to heed warnings like this.
	The good thing about this view is it does take the warning seriously. We must strive to persevere lest we be lost. The weakness of the view is that it is hard to be very motivated to watch out for a threat that you know will not happen.

Faithfulness is not Guaranteed in This Life
The solution I would suggest is to take the Romans 11 warning at face value as a real warning given to true believers against ultimately falling away, but to suggest also that such a real warning is not in conflict with the promises of the New Covenant. 
The promises of the New Covenant are not completely realized in an absolute way in this life. Jesus Christ is implementing His kingdom in stages. It was inaugurated at His first coming, and will come into fullness at His second coming. In the intervening period (the “Church Age”) we are living in a time where some aspects of the age to come are breaking in upon this present age, so there is overlap between the two. Theologians call this the “already but not yet” aspect of the Church Age. (We are already delivered from sin in some ways, but not yet in every way. We already know God, but not yet as we someday will. We are already changed, but not yet completely. etc.) In the same way, many of the promises of the New Covenant are in place already, but not yet in their fullness. 
Jeremiah 31:32 says that the New Covenant will differ from the old in that the new one will not be broken like the old was.
 
Jer 31:32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant

In some ways that is already true in this age. Generally speaking the Church does not have a record of continual, repeated, large-scale apostasy like we read about Israel in the Old Testament. But just as many other elements of the time of the Messiah still await the Second Coming before they will be in place in the fullest sense, so it may be with this promise.
	Ezekiel 11 and 36 both promise that God will put a new spirit and heart in us causing us to follow His decrees. But again, that promise is clearly not in place in its absolute form in this life. Generally speaking it is true that we keep His laws, but not in an absolute way.
How to Respond to Texts from Both Sides
Whether or not any of the above solutions seems satisfactory to you, you can still love and treasure and be fed by the texts of Scripture on both sides. Those who believe it is possible to fall away can read the promises of the New Covenant with great joy. Some day there will no longer be any threat of sin or apostasy! And the fact that that is the premier feature of the New Covenant tells us something about the heart of God and His purposes in salvation. He is not sitting in heaven with His arms crossed just watching to see who sinks and who swims. Even if there are some exceptions for His own purposes, the fact remains that God has a major interest in working in us to preserve us.
	And regarding the Romans passage, all of us would do well to take very seriously the warning. Our God is calling us to persevere in faith lest we be cut off. God does not make idle threats, nor does He warn us against impossibilities. Regardless of how one understands the tension between the passages above, the appropriate way to respond to the Romans 11 passage is to make every effort to continue in His kindness, with the threat of being cut off from Him as your motivation.
	When we reduce this whole debate down to the question of whether it is possible or impossible to fall away, the chasm between the two sides seems impossible to bridge. Many Christians have been needlessly alienated from one another and have divided fellowship over this very question. But if both sides could agree on the last two paragraphs, how small would be our differences! 

TENSION REGARDING DIVINE PRESERVATION:

It is up to God whether we continue to believe

It is up to us whether we continue to believe

YET

Ezek 24:13 I tried to cleanse you but you would not be cleansed from your impurity

Matt 23:37 how often I have longed to gather your children together…but you were not willing.

Ezek 33:11 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?' 

Acts 2:40 "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation."

1 Peter 1:22 you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth

2 Pe.1:10 be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. 

1 Tim 1:18-20 …fight the good fight, 19 holding on to faith 

Acts 11:23 he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.

Acts 13:43  Paul…urged them to continue in the grace of God.

Jd.21 Keep yourselves in God's love 

2 Cor 1:21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. 

Jude 24-25 To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. 

2 Tim 1:12 I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. 

Possible Solutions:

Robotic Willing
The more extreme high Calvinists sometimes do not even see a tension between these texts. To them the solution is easy – God directly controls everything, therefore we will the things we will and choose the things we choose because God causes us to do so.
	If it were that simple, however, it is hard to imagine what God could mean by pleading with Israel and asking “Why will you die?” For God to hold direct control over a person’s will, and intentionally see to it that the person continues in sin, and at the same time to plead with him to turn from his sin “because I take no pleasure in the death of anyone” would seem disingenuous. When God says “I tried…but you would not” or “I longed…but you were not willing” that has to mean something close to what those statements would imply. God communicates to be understood, not to be misunderstood.

The Divine Assistant 
The other extreme comes from those who suggest that man’s will is ultimate, and God does nothing but offer assistance. God has no say in what a person ultimately decides, but He does offer resources that can enable us to do the right thing.
	In my opinion, this view does not take seriously the first set of passages. 1 Cor.1:21 does not say God will provide the tools you need to stand firm. It says He is actually able to make you stand firm. If God does not have control over the final outcome of human decision making, it would not be true that He has the ability to make a person stand firm or keep a person from falling.

Paradox of Two Real Wills
I believe the best solution in this case is not to try for a solution. Scripture is clear that man’s decisions matter. If a person chooses to sin or do something righteous, it is a true statement to say that thing happened because that person decided to do it. And it is also true to say it happened because God ordained it. 
	As I stated in the introduction, man’s will is not so free that it rises above the purposes and workings of God. Man is not an ultimately self-determining being. Ultimate, final, sovereign control rests with the Almighty alone. However, nor is man’s will a mere façade that doesn’t really determine anything. When a person makes a decision to sin or do good, there is a very real sense in which that decision was the outcome of that person’s real, free (although limited) will. And when God attributes those decisions to that human being on Judgment Day, He will be correct and just in dong so.
How to Respond to Texts from Both Sides
The fact that God is able to work in us to keep us believing is a wonderful, thrilling truth! If our “free will” were somehow out of bounds for God, what a catastrophe that would be! If all He could do were supply some tools and then stand at the sidelines and root for us, how certain would be our defeat. If you lean toward the Arminian way of thinking, don’t resist the passages that speak of God’s sovereign control – even over human decision making. Rejoice that God is powerful enough and wise enough to work in your will. If we want to bring about a change in what someone is doing we have to either force the person against his will, or try to persuade him and hope it works. But God is not limited to those options. He is able to cause a person to will as he should simply by an act of His own will.
On the other hand, those who already have a high view of the sovereignty of God should not resist the passages that seem to elevate human freedom. Man’s will is not a charade. There is a very real sense in which God can will and work in one direction, and at the same time allow us to resist it. Instead of arguing with passages that show that, or finding ways to explain them away, let them serve as powerful motivations to move you toward obedience and faithfulness. 
If those of us on both sides of this debate would all agree that it is God who works in us both to will and to act, and yet somehow it is also true that what happens is in a very real sense up to us, how small would be our differences.

We are warned against the real possibility of falling

TENSION REGARDING DIVINE PRESERVATION: 

God promised to preserve us to the end

YET

1 Tim 1:18-19 I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies … so that by following them you may fight the good fight, 19 holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. 

1 Cor.15:2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

Heb 6:4-6 It is impossible for those who … have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance

Heb 3:12 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God…15 do not harden your hearts

1 Cor 1:8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thess 5:23-24 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. 

2 Thess.3:3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. 

Rom 14:4 Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 

Phil 1:6 he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 

In my opinion this is the most difficult of the tensions to reconcile. The following are some possibilities.
Possible Solutions:

Warning Against Impossibility

(For the idea that the passage warns against something that cannot actually happen see p.21)

False Believers

1 Tim 1:18-19 I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies … so that by following them you may fight the good fight, 19 holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. 

Among those who do not accept the possibility of apostasy of true believers, it is often assumed that the passages that warn of falling away are directed at those who associate themselves with the Church, but who are not genuinely saved. If such is the case, there is, of course, no tension with the doctrine of the preservation of true believers.
	It is possible to translate 1 Tim.1:19 as follows: “… holding on to faith and a good conscience which some, having rejected, have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith.” If that is the correct translation then there is no indication that they ever had faith. It simply says that with respect to Christianity they have shipwrecked because they rejected it. Even if that translation is correct, however, the fact remains that Paul is warning Timothy (who does have genuine faith) to avoid the very thing these people did. That would seem to imply that the shipwreck of “rejecting” (literally “thrusting away”) faith and good conscience was a real possibility for Timothy. If Timothy could not do that, or if he could do it but shipwreck regarding the faith would not result in his case, then the warning would be misleading. 
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1 Cor.15:1-2 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

	Some who believe this verse to be targeting false believers propose two different kinds of faith in this verse. If you fail to hold firmly you demonstrate your “faith” to be false. So when Paul says “you have believed in vain” he does not really mean “believed” in the sense of saving faith, but in the sense of non-saving false faith. 
	Nothing in the text, however warrants a change in the way the word “faith” is to be interpreted. The readers had received the Gospel and taken their stand upon it and have believed. Paul does not say, “otherwise you have not believed” but rather “otherwise you have believed in vain.” 
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Heb 6:4-6 It is impossible for those who … have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance

It debate over whether these people were ever truly saved centers on the list of descriptions given in vv.4-6. The have 
•	once been enlightened
•	tasted of the heavenly gift
•	shared in the Holy Spirit
•	tasted of the goodness of the Word of God and the powers of the coming age
 
     It has been suggested that these terms are not terms normally used to refer to salvation, rather, they are carefully selected words intended to describe unbelievers who had been given enormous spiritual privilege and who failed to respond to it. It is argued that Jesus enlightened all men (Jn.1:9), the sharing with the Holy Spirit was superficial, and tasting denotes a sample but not a full partaking. 
     There are at least 8 arguments that demonstrate that this passage is speaking of true believers.

1. Everywhere else in Scripture enlightenment is always a component of true salvation. The only other time this word “enlightened” is used by this writer it describes believers (10:32). No unbelievers are enlightened. They are all darkened and blinded (Isa 6:10,29:10, Mt 15:14, Mk 4:12, Jn12:40, II Cor 3:14, II Cor 4:4, Eph 4:18, I Jn 1:6, 2:11). 

2. If the enlightenment refers to their conversion, the term “once” makes sense (they have “once been enlightened”). But if the author were speaking only of the academic comprehension of spiritual facts, the use of the word “once” would be peculiar.

3. The word translated “tasted” means to fully partake in something (Heb.2:9, where it it used of Christ tasting death, Mt 16:28, Mk9:1, Lk 9:27, Jn 8:52, Acts 10:10, 20:11, 23:14).

4. The writer takes it for granted that the readers know what the gift is. By using the definite article (the) the writer is referring to something that was so obvious to the readers, that it required no explanation. What gift could be considered the gift? The superlatives found in Scripture about heavenly gifts seem to refer to salvation (II Cor 9:15, Ro 6:23, Eph 2:8).

5. In the phrase, “who have shared in the Holy Spirit,” the term “shared” (metochous) is a strong term. It is the same word used of Jesus’ “sharing” in flesh and blood. When it is used substantively (as it is here) it means, “partner” or “companion.” The Holy Spirit is not a partner with unbelievers (II Cor 6:14,15)
	This same word is used in Heb 3:14 to speak of partnership with Christ. We have come to share (metochoi) in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. All are in agreement that the partnership in that verse describes true salvation. 

6. It is impossible to renew them again to repentance. The word “renew” (anakainizein) stresses the entering into a completely new state, or to make inwardly new. So the language requires that they had been made inwardly new in the past. 

7. The fact that they cannot be brought to repentance again demonstrates that they were once repentant. Those who repent are saved (Ez 18:21, Acts 2:38, 3:19, II Cor 7:10). 

8. The fact that they fell away proves they had to be in a place from which they could fall. The term translated fall away (parapesontas) denotes an apostasy, that is, a falling away from the faith. 
***************
Heb 3:12 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God…15 do not harden your hearts

Those who see this verse as addressing false believers have suggested that the term “brothers” simply means “fellow Jews” not “brothers in Christ.” So he is simply warning unbelieving Jews who have an external connection with the Church from falling away from that connection with the Church. 
	If the ones being addressed are people who think they are following God but who are not, it is hard to imagine that a Bible writer would confirm that false belief by warning them against turning away from the God that they are not really following to begin with. If they are unbelievers, they already have a sinful, unbelieving heart that has turned away from the living God.
***************
Conditional Preservation
While there is no question that Scripture clearly teaches that God will preserve our faith, those promises are neither absolute nor unconditional. I will discuss the four passages above one at a time. 

1 Cor 1:8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thess 5:23-24 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. 

These texts promise strengthening and sanctification throughout the Christian life resulting in our being found blameless on Judgment Day. However, since we know some people have not remained strong to the end (such as those in Hebrews 6), it is evidently one of those texts that showcase only the divine side even though there is also a human side. 
	Just as there are numerous passages that promise salvation without any mention of faith or any other condition (Ro.5:9-11, 11:26, 1 Cor.3:15), so it is in these texts with the promise of sanctification and preservation. Elsewhere in Scripture we do see that God’s work of preserving us to the end is conditioned upon faith.

1 Peter 1:3-5 he has given us new birth into a living hope … 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

Just as it is God who saves, yet faith is required on the part of the individual in order to be saved, so it is with preservation. It is God who preserves you to the end. Nevertheless it is required that you remain willing. 
	It may be argued that this reasoning sounds circular. If God preserves us by keeping our faith in tact, how can that be dependent upon our faith? How can God maintain something only on the condition that we maintain it?
	That is not an easy question to answer, but we face that same question with regard to salvation. God requires that we have faith in order to be saved, and He places the responsibility to believe upon us. But at the same time we understand that our faith and our willingness to believe ultimately also came from God.
	While Scripture makes it clear that we must strive to persevere, and if we fail to do so we will be lost, it also assures us that when we do persevere it will have been God’s doing. 	
************
2 Thess.3:3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. 

If one were to consider this passage in isolation, it would appear that the promises of strengthening and protection are absolute and unconditional. Interpreted that way, we would conclude that the Christian faces no danger from the evil one at all.
	But neither the protection nor the strengthening are absolute. The promise of strengthening (sterizo) is a significant promise. The word refers to a strong, stable, secure, established position. However, even though our position is so secure and established, there is still some risk of falling from it. 
2 Peter 3:17 Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. (sterigmos – the noun form of the same word in 2 Thes.3:3) 
	And regarding the protection from the evil one, we are protected, but at the same time we also face danger.
1 Peter 5:8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 
***********
Php.1:6 He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 

   Those who preach on this passage often suggest that the "good work" is the Philippians' salvation. Therefore once a person is saved the process will always be brought to completion. It cannot be interrupted, and so it is impossible for a believer to apostatize. In context, however, the topic is not salvation but rather partnership in ministry. 
  The occasion of the writing of this epistle is Paul's having received a gift from the church (2:25,30, 4:14-19). The partnership of verse five most likely refers primarily to their financial support. The literal translation of the last phrase in verse five is "from the first day until the now." By the use of the article Paul is referring to the most recent gift. Paul views their support on the same level as his ministry. That is why he calls their giving a partnership (koinonia). The good work, then, is the Philippians' ministry, particularly their ministry of giving.
   The point of the verse is simply that God will continue to work through the ministry of the Philippian church until the second coming. Even after the church was to go out of existence, its ministry would continue to benefit people. One example is all that Paul taught us from their model. The application to us is that if we have a church like the Philippian church, God is likely to use our ministry to benefit future generations as well.
How to Respond to Texts from Both Sides
Once again, those who take special delight in the promises of preservation, but struggle with the warning passages must take care to take the warnings seriously. The proper response to 1 Tim.1 is to hold on tenaciously (like your spiritual life depends on it) to faith and good conscience. The proper response to 1 Cor.15 is to hold firmly to the Gospel. The proper response to not be lazy but to show diligence to the end in helping the saints in order to make your hope sure (vv.10-12). There should be nothing controversial about that, since all are in agreement that vv.10-12 are addressed to believers. 
	And those who believe apostasy is possible should embrace and be greatly encouraged and comforted (and humbled) by the doctrine of divine preservation. If we had proper humility and a sober view of ourselves, from the human point of view we should be terrified when we think of the prospect of persevering all the way to the end. If God just tossed us in the lake with nothing but an instruction book on how to swim, none of us would make it. But God is not a swim coach on the side of a pool. He is in the water with us constantly holding us up – which is good, because on our own, we are stones, and would immediately sink to the bottom. God is constantly working in our hearts, drawing us away from sin, strengthening our faith, teaching us, softening our will toward Him, creating an appetite for His Word. He would never let us be tested beyond our ability. Even Hebrews 6 ends with a word of encouragement. After having read the harsh warning, the reader may be fearful and think that perhaps he will not be able to endure even if he tries. The encouragement is that if they simply continue doing what they have been doing, they will never fall.
	If we can all agree that the appropriate response to these warning passages is to do just what Heb.6:10-12 says (show diligence to make our hope sure), and we can all agree to set our hope and confidence not in ourselves but in the blessed truth of the preserving work of God in our hearts, how small is that which divides us.

TENSION REGARDING DIVINE PRESERVATION: 

YET

We are responsible to see to it that we are not cut off 

Nothing can separate us from Him.

Jn.15:4-10 Remain in me, and I will remain in you…6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned…9 remain in my love. 

1 Jn.2:24 – See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us – even eternal life. 

Jd.21 Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life

1 Cor.9:27-10:14 I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified 10:1 For … our forefathers all … drank from the spiritual rock … and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. 6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did….and in one day 23,000 of them died…. were killed by snakes… were killed by the destroying angel. … 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!

John 10:27-28 My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand. 

Romans 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Possible Solutions:

Remain to Prove Yourself Genuine

One attempt at reconciling this tension is to suggest that Jesus’ calls to remain were simply designed to serve as demonstrations that show who the genuine children of God are. This interpretation is even reflected in the NIV and NASB translations of Jn.15:8. The literal translation of that verse is This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit and become (ginomai) my disciples. But the NIV and NASB translators insert their interpretation into the translation: This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit proving yourselves to be my disciples. 
	The reason they felt the need to insert an interpretation into this verse is because the idea that Jesus would give the Eleven instructions on how to become His disciples the night before He died is peculiar. They already were His disciples. 
	The word ginomai, however, does not mean “prove to be.” In the future middle second person it simply means “you will become.” Rather than alter the normal meaning of the word, we should take what Jesus said at face value. Apparently the idea is that although they were already considered disciples, there is a fuller sense of discipleship which they had not attained. In the words of A.T. Robertson “They “would ‘become’ disciples (learners) in the fullest sense of rich fruit-bearing.” 
This is not to imply that a person is not saved until he becomes fruitful. Rather, it means that our conversion is the beginning, not the end of our following Jesus. Hendriksen comments, “those who are...already disciples become disciples more and more. To weaken the sense of the word “become” is neither necessary nor justifiable.” 
The text says nothing about proving oneself to be genuine. If being a true believer guaranteed that the person would remain in Christ, the command to do so would be superfluous. Jesus is speaking to the Eleven; Judas is already gone. It seems strange that Jesus would command those who are guaranteed to remain to remain lest they fall. 
The fact is, Jesus himself indicates that there is, in fact, a possibility of the disciples failing to remain (v.6).

6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

	These comments appear in the context of Jesus’ teaching to His disciples on the night of His arrest just after Judas leaves to commit his great sin. Immediately after Judas’ departure, Jesus begins to comfort his disciples. He assures them that He will return for them (14:1-4), answers their questions (14:5-14), and promises another Counselor (14:15-31). In chapter fifteen, He turns to a warning tone. He calls them to remain in him (15:1-17) and warns them about persecution (15:18-27). Jesus himself gives the purpose of his words in 16:1 where he says, “All this I have told you so that you will not go astray.” The word for “go astray” can mean to be offended, to stumble, or to fall away completely (Mt.13:21). In this context the most likely meaning is to fail to remain in Christ under the pressure of persecution from the world. A similar point is made in 1 Jn.2:10.
	If Jesus Himself said the purpose of His remarks was to prevent the disciples from going astray, we should not imagine that the purpose was to prove their authenticity as believers. 
	Jesus begins by warning the eleven against fruitlessness. The way for them to continue to be fruitful is to remain in the vine (Christ). In verse four Christ’s remaining in the disciples is conditioned upon their remaining in him. (vv.1-4)
	The word translated “remain” (meno) means, simply, to remain or stay. Thayer’s Lexicon gives several different uses for the term, and, of these uses, the one that most closely matches this context is the idea of remaining in a state or position (in Christ). The idea is that the disciples were in Christ, and he is calling them to remain in that position.
	In verse five fruitfulness is conditioned upon remaining in Christ (IF a man remains in me…he will bear much fruit). Verse six points out the consequences of failure to remain (death and destruction by fire). In contrast, remaining will result in answered prayer (v.7) and glorification of the Father (v.8). 
	Next Jesus calls them to remain in his love (v.9). The way to do so is to obey his commands (v.10). 
	So Jesus is calling us to maintain a close relationship with Him in the face of persecution so that we do not stumble or fall away. We can do so by paying close attention to His Word and by obeying His commands.

False Branches
	Another effort at resolving the tension is to suggest that the fruitless branches that are cut off never could have been true believers, because true believers always bear fruit. 
But that would make the warning to the disciples meaningless. Jesus would be saying, “You true believers take care to remain, because if false believers fall they prove themselves to be false.” Jesus never gives any indication that He is directing His warning to false professors. He speaks directly to the Eleven. God’s message to false believers is not to remain. Remaining as they are is the last thing they should do. 
	It is true that believers produce fruit as long as they remain believers. If a person renounces his faith in Christ, however, he is not a believer and will bear no more fruit. Such a person is worthless and will be destroyed.  

Purifying Fire
	Another approach is to admit that it is true believers who are warned, but the burning signifies purifying chastisement rather than eternal judgment. There is no indication of this, however, from the text. Just the opposite is true. The branches are burned not so they can be repaired or purified. A fruitless branch is not purified by being burned up. Rather, it is utterly destroyed.

Loss of Reward
	Another key passage that places the responsibility to remain on our shoulders (and that warns of the real possibility of failing to remain) is 1 Cor.9:27-10:12. In this passage Paul describes the extreme measures he took to avoid becoming adokimos (rejected, disqualified, worthless, reprobate). Then he explains what he means by giving the example of the Israelites who all enjoyed the benefits of deliverance through Christ, but most of whom did not make it to the Promised Land. He then states his conclusion in v.12: So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!
	Since deliverance from Egypt is used in the New Testament as an illustration of salvation, and entrance into the Promised Land is used as an illustration of entering heaven, and Israel’s failure in the desert is used as an illustration of spiritual apostasy of Christians (Jude 5, Heb.4, Heb.3:16-19, Heb.8:9), the point seems to be that Paul disciplined himself to avoid the fate illustrated by Israel – receiving salvation but failing to enter heaven. But if that were the correct interpretation, it would be in tension with the passages that promise that He will never let go of us.
	One common approach to reconcile that tension is to take this whole section as a warning about loss of reward, not salvation. It would seem that entrance into the Promised Land could just as easily represent reward as entrance into heaven. And it would be no surprise if Paul were taking such pains at self-discipline to avoid having to be ashamed on Judgment Day.
	There are a few difficulties with this view, however. The word for disqualified (adokimos) is a very strong term. It is not a word used to describe believers. The seven other times it is used in Scripture are as follows: 
•	Ro.1:28 referring to depraved humanity
•	2 Cor.13:5-7 referring to those who fail the test, who are not in the faith, who do not have Christ in them, and who are therefore unproved
•	2 Timothy 3:8 referring to the false teachers who oppose the truth, have a depraved mind, and are rejected with regard to the faith
•	Titus 1:16 referring to those who profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient, and worthless (adokimos) for any good deed.
•	Heb 6:8 referring to the worthless land that produces thorns and thistles, is close to being cursed, and ends up being burned.
The word always refers to that which is rejected because it is worthless. And to explain what he means by that Paul provides an illustration from the apostasy of Israel after the Exodus. 
	Another weakness of this view is the overall harshness of the illustration from Israel. The illustrations are not of isolated failures that affect the size of their reward. They are illustrations of apostasy that resulted not in chastisement, but in the ultimate Old Testament Judgment – perishing at God’s hand.

5 their bodies were scattered over the desert.
8 in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.
9 were killed by snakes. 
10 were killed by the destroying angel.

The point seems more severe than the loss of ministry opportunity or diminished reward. And Paul’s conclusion points not to some generalized reduction of reward or ministry opportunity, but to a specific fall. (v.12)

Protection from Attack
Another possibility for how this tension can be reconciled is to take the warnings as actual admonitions alerting us to the real danger of falling away, but to take the promises of protection as being limited to protection against hostile attack, not against our own backsliding toward apostasy.
In John 10 Jesus is giving His response to those who asked if He is the Christ. His answer is to show them that He fulfills all the things that the True Shepherd does – one of which has to do with how He treats the sheep. 

v.10: The thief comes to kill and destroy (apolesa), but the true shepherd to give life (zoan). 
v.28: I give them eternal life (zoan), and they shall never perish (apolontai).

v.12:  "the wolf attacks (arpazei) the flock." 
v.28: "No one can snatch (arpasei) them out of My hand." 

The wolf attacks, or tries to seize the flock, but the true Shepherd protects the sheep from attack so they cannot be seized by the wolf. 
	It has been suggested that when Jesus says "no one can snatch them out of My hand" the "no one" includes the sheep themselves. But that seems to me to go beyond what the passage is teaching. The point of the statement in Jn.10 is to demonstrate the difference between the true Shepherd (who does not allow His sheep to be snatched {arpasei}) and the hired hand (who does allow the sheep to be attacked {arpaszei}). What does it mean to be snatched away? It means the same thing as to be attacked by a wolf. It is the same word in the same context.
	It is obvious that the protection in view here is from an enemy (the wolf). Whether or not we can leave the stronghold is a different question. To say that you are safe from the wolves does not imply anything about what you can or cannot do. Picture the scene Christ described: we are in the palm of His huge hand, His fist clenched tightly around us. The strongest of our foes tries as hard as he can to pry open one finger, and he cannot even budge it. This gives us tremendous security as Christians. No foe can overpower the Lord. No one can make Him release His grip.
Is the "no one" intended to include the one inside the fist? If so the picture would be of the sheep reaching out of the hand and violently attacking themselves, trying to snatch themselves out of His hand and not being able to. It seems doubtful to me that that is what Jesus had in mind. 
To use another analogy, suppose a man had a security system installed in his home. The security company then tells him, “You are totally safe in this house – it is impervious to attack.” Would we take that to imply that it would be impossible for the man to exit the house and leave that place of safety? No, we wouldn’t.  Perhaps it is impossible for him to leave – maybe the doors are welded shut. That is a possibility, but the statement “You are safe in this house” does not imply anything about whether or not the man can leave.
In the same way, we cannot answer the question about whether or not apostasy is possible from this passage. 
Romans 8:35-39 is very similar to Jn.10. Both passages offer comfort to believers who feel insecure and worried that some hostile force may appear and overpower them and drag them away from God. Even the most powerful of forces: trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, the sword, death life, angels, demons, the present, the future, any powers, height, depth, or anything else in creation, are absolutely unable to separate the believer from his God. Although the circumstances in this life are difficult, we can be encouraged knowing that they have enormous benefit for us (8:28-30) and limited detriment (31-39). Since those who are in Christ are being glorified by "all things," and nothing has the power to remove them from Christ, we need not fear.
	But again, to suggest that included among the forces against which the believer is protected in God's love is the believer himself is to stretch the text beyond its intended meaning. The picture of safety from hostile powers does not even address the issue of whether or not the believer can leave his stronghold. The emphasis of the passage is security, not apostasy, and to find out facts about apostasy (such as "Does it occur among believers?") one must consult the passages which speak about apostasy. 
This brings up a fundamental question about the nature of security. The classic concept of security in Christ is that we are offered wonderful protection and safety from spiritual danger. And by that definition there has been almost unanimous agreement throughout Church history on the doctrine of security. The controversy has come in more recent times (since the Reformation) when a new definition has been suggested: Security = the impossibility of falling. 
This new way of defining security has enjoyed such widespread acceptance that many today cannot conceive of any kind of security that does not include the impossibility of falling away. That is why the “Apostasy is Impossible” view has become known as the “Eternal Security” view (as if those who believe apostasy is possible must not believe in security).
Is it true that a position is insecure if there is any possibility at all of falling – no matter how remote the possibility? Not according to 2 Pe.3:17. 

2 Peter 3:17 be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. 

Clearly the mere possibility of falling does not make the position insecure. There is a difference between security and certainty. God often gives us the former when we would prefer the latter. 
One can enjoy a great sense of security and protection against dangers that are possible, but improbable. It is theologically possible that I may someday commit robbery and end up in prison, for example, but I do not live in constant fear of that possibility, because it is so unlikely (I have no intention of even considering it). Certainly the mere possibility of some bad thing does not require that we live in terror of it. If it did, then we should all be horrified all the time, because even if apostasy is not possible for the believer, certainly gross sin is. Those who say that if apostasy is possible then we can have no security must also say no believer can ever have any security against backsliding (since it is possible). 
A doctrine of security that is based on extreme improbability rather than impossibility affords us security against many more things. We can have a sense of confidence and security regarding things that, while possible, are unlikely.
In fact, it is even possible to enjoy safety and protection while simultaneously being vulnerable to danger. Consider the following two passages:

2 Thess.3:3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. 

1 Pe.5:8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 

In this life not all of God’s promises come in the form of unconditional, black and white, unqualified guarantees. But they are wonderful and comforting promises nonetheless.
So given the classical understanding of security as protection and safety (albeit not necessarily absolute or unconditional) there is full agreement on both sides of the debate. The believer is secure. If we think of security as that safety we enjoy in which we cannot be overpowered by the enemy nor taken from God against our will, that becomes an even greater security than the security that comes from the idea that apostasy is impossible. If we say that the only way to have true security is if falling is theologically impossible, then the only things we are secure from are those things that are impossible. This allows us no security from any fate that is possible.
How to Respond to Texts from Both Sides
Our response to the passages that place the responsibility of perseverance upon our shoulders should be, very simply, to persevere. We must strive to remain in Christ by obeying His commands, so as to avoid the fate of the severed and burned branches. We must keep ourselves in God’s love and go to extremes of self-discipline so we do not become adokimos. We should learn from the Israelites, and take great care to avoid idolatry. We must take heed, lest we fall! These warnings are stern and sobering, but they are at the same time sweet and encouraging. They show us that while perseverance requires great effort, it is possible – in fact, if we put forth the effort, it is assured.
	Our response to the passages that promise that God will never let go of us should be to rejoice! As long as we remain willing to believe, nothing can overpower us (and the Lord works in us to maintain that willingness). We will never face anything that is too much for us to withstand. No onslaught of the devil, no attack of demons, no plot of evil humanity – nothing in all creation can steal us away from the Lord. This should give us great courage and boldness as we face the daunting hardships of life.
	If we all agree that we should strive to remain in Him, and we should rejoice in the security of His protection, how small are the details that divide us.
	  
TENSION REGARDING THE NATURE OF REGENERATION: 

Some who believe end up falling away.

All the called end up glorified

YET

Luke 8:13 They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 

Romans 8:28-30 we know that in all things God works for the good of those who have been called according to His purpose. 29 For those God foreknew He also predestined to 	be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those He predestined He also called, and those He called, He also justified, and those He justified He also glorified.

Possible Solutions:

False Faith
We know that there is such a thing as a “faith” that is not really faith. James speaks of “dead” faith (Jas.2:26), and John refers to a faith that seems to fall short of genuine, saving faith (Jn.2:23, Jn.8:30ff and perhaps Jn.12:42). So it is often assumed that the faith Jesus refers to in Lk.8:13 is a false faith, since it proves to be temporary. (Since this whole debate is over whether it is possible for true faith to be temporary, however, it is circular reasoning to say we know this is not true faith simply because it was temporary.) 
	Clearly there is some place in this text where the line of true conversion is drawn. All agree that the first soil is never saved and the last soil is. But is the line that separates the converted from the unconverted between soil #3 and #4? Or between #1 and #2?
	There are three reasons I believe the correct place to draw that line is between #1 and #2 (that is, each of the last three soils represents a person who is genuinely converted upon hearing the Gospel). 
	First, the hard soil is the only one that the Gospel never penetrates and that produces no life.
Second, Jesus states that the first group are never saved (v.12). 
Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.
It would be strange for Him to make such a remark about the first group only if he wanted us to think of the first three groups as unsaved.
Third, Jesus says the reason the first group is never saved is because they do not believe. But in the very next verse He points out that the next group does believe. 
12 …they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rock … believe for a while
So in the context of talking about the kind of belief that saves, Jesus says the second group believes. 
	Fourth, the soil that finally produces fruit does so by persevering. (v.15) The implication seems to be that the disciples should heed the parable and see to it that they persevere. However, if perseverance were guaranteed for all the truly converted, then to the degree the disciples were certain they were converted; they would not need any warning about the consequences of failing to persevere. 

Past Glorification
Another possible solution to the tension between these two passages is to understand Ro.8 as referring to past glorification rather than future glorification.

Romans 8:29-30 For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those He predestined He also called, and those He called, He also justified, and those He justified He also glorified.

The pivotal verse in Romans 8 is v.28 
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

All the verses that follow in the chapter are explanation and corroboration for verse 28. Verse 29 reveals what the good is (conformity to Christ’s image) and what the process for that conformity is: He predestines, then calls, then justifies, then glorifies.
It is my suggestion that this is not referring to the future glorification of our bodies as in 8:18-21. Rather it speaks of what has already happened to us as believers. There is a definite sense in which believers have already received glory in this life (Jn.17:22). Our spiritual glorification occurs when we are born again. At that point we are crucified with Christ, raised with Christ, seated with Him in the heavenly realms, cleansed, regenerated, set apart from sin, made heirs, etc. 
I will briefly offer 3 reasons why I believe this verse cannot refer to future glorification. For a more detailed argument, see Appendix 2.

Reason 1: Grammar
The terms "predestined," "called," "justified," and "glorified" are all in the past tense. It does not say “those “he justified He will glorify.” All those whom He has justified He has already glorified. 

Reason 2: Context
Verses 18-25 speak of future glorification, the redemption of our bodies which will take place in heaven in the future. Those verses, however, do not make up the immediate context. By verse 28 the discussion has shifted from future things to the present.
Additionally, the glorification in heaven spoken of in verses 18 and following is physical. Certainly it is more likely that spiritual glorification is in view in light of the concepts of the rest of the verse (predestined, called, justified).
Also, it seems a bit peculiar that sanctification would be left out of what is otherwise such a thorough description of our current state of salvation. Note the progression: foreknown - predestined - called - justified - glorified. If this glorification takes place after death, the entire Christian life is omitted! Such an omission would be in direct opposition to the purpose of the passage (to explain how all things that are going on now are working for good). Glorification here (as in II Cor.3:18), then, most likely refers to present sanctification. 

Reason 3: Logic
Verse 28 states that everything works together for good for the called, the "good" being the process of the following verses. The end of the process is glorification. To say that all things (including trials) contribute to our glorification makes perfect sense if glorification refers to our being made more and more like Christ while we are on earth. 
On the other hand, if the glorification is the future redemption of our bodies, then verses 29 and 30 do not logically follow from verse 28. If a person goes through a difficult trial it can teach him patience (present glorification), but one is hard pressed to demonstrate how this contributes to the redemption of his physical body someday in heaven (future glorification).
   
The basic thought of Romans 8:28-30 is that although the present circumstances are difficult (causing groaning) there is encouragement for the present, that is, that all these difficult things are working for our good in that they result in our being daily transformed into Christ's image (glorification).
How to Respond to Texts from Both Sides
Many different encouragements can be drawn from the parable of the soils. Jesus addressed the greatest discouragement of ministry – those who turn away. Nothing is more heart breaking and discouraging. However while it should still be cause for sorrow, it need not discourage us. It is the very thing our Lord told us would happen.
	With respect to this debate, it is appropriate for us to look at the parable of the soils in the way a son listens to the counsel of a wise father. We are being warned of dangers that we cannot foresee (those who respond with joy to the Gospel would never dream that someday they would turn away). This parable should move us to persevere to the end.
	As for Ro.8:29, that text should fill our hearts will gratitude as we contemplate the amazing ramifications of the glories we have received with our salvation.
	If those of us on both sides of this debate all respond to the parable with a renewed desire to persevere, and to Ro.8:29 with a deepened gratitude for our salvation, we are very close to one another indeed.

TENSION REGARDING OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD:

He may disown us

He will not cast us out

YET

2 Tim.2:10-13 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 11 This is a trustworthy saying, for 
   if we died with Him we will also live with Him; 
12 if we endure,       we will also reign with Him.
   If we disown Him,   He will also disown us;
13 if we are faithless,   He        remains faithful, 
                  (for He cannot disown Himself).

John 6:37-40 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."  

Possible Solutions:

False Christians
One common way of finding a resolution to this tension is to see the “we” as encompassing both true and false believers and to take vv.11,12a and 13 as referring to the true believers and v.12b as referring to false believers. This interpretation would allow for the view that no true believer could ever be disowned by God. The idea, then, would be that if we (churchgoers) endure we prove ourselves to be saved. If we fail to endure we prove ourselves to be false Christians. 
	One serious flaw in this view is it fails to consider the word “for” in v.11. Paul is offering an argument for why his statement in v.10 is trustworthy. And the statement in v.10 is about his Herculean effort to see to it that the elect all receive final salvation. So the group being discussed in the context is not churchgoers, but rather the elect. 
	Not only does this view fail to fit the flow of thought in the context, but it is difficult to see what purpose could be served by making a statement that we are proved genuine or false by enduring or denying. This gives the unsaved churchgoer no ability to discover that his faith is false until after he denies Christ. 

Faithful to save those who disown Him
Another view is that verse 13 is intended to soften v.12. The Lord will disown us, but even after disowning us He will be faithful to save us.
	But it is hard to imagine that one could be disowned by Christ and still saved. To those whom Christ says, "I never knew you" He also says "depart from Me" (Mt.25:41). This view is in opposition to the rest of the passage. Verse 12 indicates that we must endure in order to reign with Him. 
	Another problem with this view is the phrase for he cannot disown himself. God must remain faithful when we are unfaithful, because he cannot disown himself. So according to this view, for God to judge an unfaithful, Christ-disowning person would be to disown himself. But for God to judge an unbelieving, Christ-rejecting person is neither unfaithfulness on God’s part nor self-denial. Throughout history God has promised to judge the unbelieving (Dt.32:35, Isa.13:11, Ro.2:9), and to fail to do so would be to deny Himself. The point of the verse is that if we are faithless God will remain true to His word and judge us. He will follow through on exactly what He has promised He would do to those who reject Christ. 

Conditional promise of eternal salvation
Another possible resolution to this tension is to take the promises of John 6 as conditional. 
	It is not uncommon for conditional promises to be given without any mention of the condition. For example, Jesus promised “whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24). But elsewhere we find that there are conditions for answered prayer that are not mentioned in that passage (It must be in His name Jn.14:13, we must remain in Him and His words in us Jn.15:7, we must obey His commands 1 Jn.3:22, etc.). 
	And in the context of Jn.6 it could be argued that there is indeed a condition that is implied in the context. The reason Jesus gives for why none will be driven away (v.37) or lost (v.39) is so that His Father’s will may be accomplished. And the Father’s will is that anyone who believes in the Son should have eternal life. So if a person ever comes to the point of not believing, this promise no longer applies to him. 
	Later on Jesus refers again to the fact that He lost none, except this time there is an “except.” 

John 17:6,12 I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me … While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction 

The group of people Jesus is speaking about is “those whom you gave me,” and none were lost except one. This has to mean that one of the ones the Father gave the Son was lost. If Jesus is suddenly including others then He would have had to say, “except millions.”  
	The fact that there is an exception doesn’t both Jesus in the slightest. He gives no indication that this constitutes a failure in His John 6 statement. On the contrary, according to John 18:9 Jesus prophecy about losing none of those the Father gave Him was fulfilled.
	So if Judas was one whom the Father had given to the Son, and he was lost, yet Jesus’ words about losing none were fulfilled, it seems the only possible explanation would be that Jesus’ words were not intended to include apostates. He would keep them on the condition that they continue in Him.
How to Respond to Texts from Both Sides
2 Timothy 2:10-13, while it does contain an ominous warning, should be a source of great joy and hope for us. If we died with Him, we will also live with Him! And if we endure, we will reign with Him! What a blessed truth! What an incredibly powerful motivation to persevere! Certainly both sides can agree that the appropriate response to this text is that we endure that we might reign with Him.
	With regard to John 6, again, we should be greatly encouraged and filled with joy. We come to the world with this message: You who are God’s enemies, who have dishonored and displeased Him, you who come to Him as the wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked – come to Him in that condition as we did, and He will not cast you out! Though you would expect that the door be slammed in your face and that you would be cast into outer darkness, instead, if you come believing, you will be welcomed. And He will hold on to you and preserve you until the end, and raise you from the dead.”
	As we have seen a few times in this study, this does not fully resolve the tension. The fact remains that on the one hand it is the Lord who strengthens and preserves even our faith, yet on the other hand there is an aspect that is our responsibility. Both sides must recognize this. The Calvinist must see that there has to be more to the picture than strict divine determinism – otherwise what explanation is there for sin? And the Arminian must acknowledge that it is only through God’s sovereign grace and special favor that anyone believes or perseveres. We are not ultimately self-determining beings. If I am to persevere to the end it will not happen unless God decides it will happen.
	So when God requires something of us and then tells us He is ultimately sovereign over it, what can we say? All we can do is accept the fact that we are responsible, the outcome depends upon what we do, and yet ultimately the outcome is determined by God. If some of us prefer different ways than others on how to try to reconcile that ultimate tension, should we become angry or divide fellowship over it, because one side emphasizes God’s ultimate control and the other emphasizes the valid aspect of human determination? 

TENSION REGARDING APOSTATES:

Those who have been sanctified are in danger of being destroyed as God’s enemies

If they had been of us, they would have remained with us

YET

Heb.10:26-31 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people."   31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 

1 John 2:18-19 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.

Possible Solutions:

False Christians
Once again, it is generally assumed by those who reject the possibility of Christian apostasy that those who are warned in Hebrews 10 are false Christians. They have received a knowledge of the truth, and have been sanctified in some non-saving sense, but they are not true Christians. 
	There are at least 4 reasons why this view is not tenable:

1)	The group that is warned is “we,” which, up to this point, has been consistently referring to believers, not just churchgoers. 
19 brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus
21 since we have a great priest
22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience 
23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess
24 let us consider how we may spur one another on
25 Let us not give up meeting together
let us encourage one another 
26 If we deliberately keep on sinning…
39 we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved. 

2) Those who are warned have been sanctified by the blood of the covenant (v.29).  

3) The writer supports his point by quoting an Old Testament passage that says, The Lord will judge His people. Those who are at risk are God’s own people.

4) Beginning in v.32 the writer continues his effort to encourage the readers to persevere with a positive argument. In vv.26-31 they are urged to persevere to avoid judgment. Beginning in v.32 they are urged to persevere because, as was demonstrated by their earlier willingness to suffer for the faith, the reward for persevering will be worth it. In this section we learn that they had received the light (v.32) and had willingly gone through great suffering because they knew they had better and lasting possessions. (v.34) And if they simply remain as they are, they will receive rich reward and the promises of God (vv.35,36).  

The antichrists were not apostates
Another possible way to reconcile this tension is to limit the words of 1 John to the specific group of antichrists John is speaking of, and not to those who fall away from the faith.
	There is no reason to assume these antichrists fell away from anything. They were attempting to spread their teaching within the Church, but there is no indication that they ever claimed to be Christians. In fact, the indication from the text is just the opposite. They seem to have denied Christ all along (John does not say they became antichrists, but simply that antichrists went out).
	The purpose of this passage is not to assure us that apostates were never truly saved. The purpose of the passage is to give us the exhortation that begins in v.24.

 24 See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us--even eternal life.  26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit--just as it has taught you, remain in him.

The goal of this entire section is to warn the readers about the danger of being led astray and to urge them to remain in Christ. Verses 18-23 simply serve to discredit those who are trying to lead them astray.
	If vv.18-23 were intended to assure the readers that it is impossible for a Christian to fail to remain in Christ it would defeat John’s entire purpose for this section. There is no need for the warning if there is no real danger.
How to Respond to Texts from Both Sides
If the resolutions I have suggested are accepted, the apparent tension is erased completely. The two passages are saying the same thing. And both are a great encouragement. John calls us to avoid being led astray by antichrists and to remain in Christ. The Hebrew writer calls us to hold on to our confidence in Christ all the way to final salvation. 
	And while the warnings are ominous, both writers offer great encouragement. The Hebrew writer promises rich reward, enjoyment of God’s promises, life and final salvation if we just persevere and remain as we are. And John promises that if we just see to it that what we have heard remains in us, we will indeed remain in the Son and Father and will receive eternal life.
	Both passages call for exactly the same response: to simultaneously be motivated to persevere both by the negative threat of falling and by the positive promise of reward.
	While we may differ on some details, it seems that everyone should be able to agree that this is the response these passages are calling for. Since the last words in the John 2 passage are “remain in him” and the conclusion of the Hebrews passage is “So do not throw away your confidence,” who could argue that the point of both passages is to persuade us to persevere? And if both sides can agree on the main point of the passages and on what our response should be, we are very close to being of the same mind on these texts.

TENSION REGARDING SOVEREIGN GRACE:

We must make our calling and election sure

The elect are predestined, foreknown, chosen and sealed

YET

2 Pe.1:10 be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall

Heb 6:11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.

2 Tim 2:20-21 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. 21 If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

2 Tim 2:10 I endure everything for the sake of the elect , that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

Eph 1:4-14 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons 
13 Having believed, you were sealed in him with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-- to the praise of his glory.

2 Pe.1:10 be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall

Heb 6:11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.

2 Tim 2:20-21 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. 21 If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. 

2 Tim 2:10 I endure everything for the sake of the elect , that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 

Eph 1:4-14 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons 
13 Having believed, you were sealed in him with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-- to the praise of his glory.

Possible Solutions:

Prove yourself true
Luther and Calvin took 2 Pe.1:10 and Heb.6:11 to mean if we pursue moral progress we will obtain subjective assurance of our election. It will have no actual bearing on whether we are elected; it will simply give us the feeling of being elect. 
	The point of the verse, however, is not to provide us with subjective assurance that we will never fall, but to show us how to avoid actually falling. Peter places the responsibility on our shoulders to see to it that we are among the company of the elect.

Paradox
	The definition of a paradox is two truths that seem to contradict but that do not. And every doctrine in Scripture that involves God’s sovereignty and human responsibility involves a paradox at some point. This is no exception.
	It is beyond human understanding how that which is predestined by God can still be determined one way or the other by man. Every day of my life was written in His book before one of them came to be (Ps.139:16), and He works out absolutely everything in conformity with the purpose of His plan (Eph.1:11). So everything is pre-determined. God knows the end from the beginning, and He is not wrong about anything He knows regarding the future. Nevertheless, Scripture is very clear that the outcomes of many things depend on what we decide. God has pre-determined the number of the days of my life, yet, if I chose to put a gun to my head or jump off a sky-scraper the pre-determined number of my days will turn out to be shorter than if I do not choose suicide. And my choosing or not choosing is not a function of strict determinism, where God manipulates my will like a puppet, because Scripture (justly) holds us responsible for choosing things contrary to what God wanted.
	The question of how God could choose the elect before the foundation of the world, and yet it is our responsibility to cause ourselves to be elect is a paradox. 
	A paradox, however, is not the same as a formal contradiction. While these truths are paradoxical, they are not contradictory. 
	There is no question that one of the main purposes of Ephesians 1 is to offer assurance of the certainty of our future inheritance so that we will live lives of hope. Our inheritance is guaranteed by:
•	the desire of a God who does everything He desires to do (v.11)
•	the sealing in the Holy Spirit (protecting and preserving you) (v.13)
•	the fact that you have been given the Holy Spirit as a down payment of the inheritance (for God to renege He would have to forfeit the Holy Spirit!) (v.14) 
•	the fact that there remains a future aspect to our redemption (v.14)
•	the fact that we are God’s prized possessions for which He paid a high price (v.14)	
 
So our security in Christ is astonishing. And since it is stated in such strong terms, and since no mention at all is made regarding any human role, it is natural to infer that there is no human role. And since no conditions are given for these promises, it is natural to infer that there are none. 
	However it must be remembered that those are inferences that are not stated in the text itself. Nothing is said about possibilities or impossibilities about what man can do. The fact that God promised an inheritance does not imply anything about the possibility that it can or cannot be rejected by man. On the contrary, the focus of the passage is not on what man can or cannot do. It is on the faithfulness of God. The point is that God will not renege on the offer of the inheritance. If we refuse it, God is not reneging. 
Is it possible to speak of God's faithfulness without implying anything about man's actions? Of course it is. That is what is done here. To find facts about man's role in salvation one must look in a passage that addresses that subject. To say that when someone gives a gift, the recipient must be passive, is a logical fallacy. Equally as fallacious is the thought that if the recipient rejects the gift, it reflects a problem with the gift or the giver. Simply stated, If you give me something, and I throw it away, it does not mean that it is your fault that I threw it away.
	The offer of salvation that God has made is conditional (a person must believe). If that condition is not met, salvation is not given. If that happens, it is not a case of God reneging or being unfaithful in any way. 
How to Respond to Texts from Both Sides
The Calvinist who is tempted to take no responsibility to see to it that he is indeed elect should consider more carefully 1 Pe.1. And the Arminian who imagines that God has supplied the same, common grace to all people in equal measure and all the rest depends on us should consider carefully passages like Ephesians 1.  
Many Christians struggle with constant doubts about their ability to persevere. They are willing to persevere, but fear they may not be able to. “What if I make a mistake?  What if I have a lapse?  What if I try my hardest by I just don’t quite have enough faith…?” Passages like Ephesians 1 should eliminate that kind of needless worry. If we understand how earnest God is about His desire to give us our inheritance, we would never be weighed down with thoughts like that.
A healthy concern about seeing to it that we persevere to the end and that we never turn away, can and should co-exist with a confidence that makes our security and the certainty of our hope so blatantly and patently obvious that no one can mistake it.

 Some hold that if it is possible for a believer to leave the position of safety then God is able to be overpowered, therefore it is not possible. This reflects a common error that is the cause of much of the confusion concerning human will and God’s sovereignty. Those who consider the relationship between the two a power struggle necessarily come to the conclusion of absolute determinism - man is not even involved in the decision to repent. In fact, he is not even passive. He actually fights against God's irresistible grace, and believers are simply men who lost the fight. 
This is actually a weak view of God. It supposes that God has to overpower man's will in order to accomplish something. How much greater power it would take for Him to accomplish His purpose in exactly the way He desires without manipulating man's will. He is not glorified by forcing me to do what is right, rather he is glorified in that His perfect plan is undaunted by my wrong decisions. 
Apostasy is not a case of God being overpowered or failing in any way, just as sin in the believer’s life is not a case of the Holy Spirit failing or being overpowered (even though it is the Holy Spirit Who sanctifies us and keeps us from sin).

Eternal life
With regard to the argument from eternal life, perhaps the apostate was at one time possessing eternal life, because he was in Christ (who is the Life) but by apostatizing he has left his position in Christ thus forfeiting the benefit of eternal life. The eternal life did not end, it is still (and always will be) a reality in Christ, but the apostate has given it up by choosing to leave Him who is its source. In his first epistle, John defines eternal life as our remaining in the Son and in the Father, and the Gospel remaining in us. 1 Jn.2:24 – See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us – even eternal life. It is true that Scripture offers us security, and that God has promised that we will remain in Him eternally. This promise, however, is conditional. We will remain in Him on the condition that we see to it that what we have heard (the Gospel) remains in us. This passage commands that we remain, which seems to imply the possibility that we might not.
   The point of the statement about Jesus giving His sheep eternal life is in opposition to the thief coming to kill, nothing else. The point is simply that the sheep are protected from hostile attack. This does not address the issue of apostasy. John ten is an argument for the fact that Jesus is the Christ, not a statement about possibilities or impossibilities about apostasy. In fact, apostasy is not even discussed. 

It is not my goal to persuade the reader of my view. It is my goal, however, to accomplish three things:
1.	To defend my view as a tenable view.
2.	To persuade the reader to take the warning passages seriously, and to adopt an attitude that one must strive to persevere to the end lest he be lost.
3.	To refocus the debate off of arguments about what is possible or impossible, and on to how the Scriptures on both sides call us to live.

Defense of My View 
I hold to the Conditional Preservation view. Here are some of the common objections to this view:

1. It demonstrates a misunderstanding of the nature of God.
	High Calvinists will often argue that if a genuinely saved person ever fell away, that would mean God was either unable to preserve him, or unfaithful in failing to preserve him, and His eternal purposes in election would have failed in that person’s case. 

Response:
If God’s promise to preserve our faith is indeed unconditional, then the above objection is valid. But if the promise of preservation is not absolute, the argument fails.
	Two of the passages that seem the strongest in implying unconditional perseverance are 1 Cor.1:8 and 1 Thes.5:24.

1 Cor 1:8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thess 5:23-24 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. 

Neither of these passages states any condition. They just say God will “do it.” However, just because no condition is stated does not necessarily mean there is no condition. 
	For example, 

2 Thess 3:2-5
 3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. 4 We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. 

1 Peter 5:10

10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

2 Cor 1:21
1 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ.

1 Peter 5:10

10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

2 Cor 1:21
1 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ.

Phil 2:13
13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. 

Gal 5:22-23

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Eph 2:10
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. 

Phil 4:19
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. 

2 Tim 4:18
18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 

1 John 5:18-19

18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. 

One may expect that Calvin, since he believed apostasy to be an impossibility for the believer, might depart from this. He did not.
   Davis says, “Even though Calvin believes that regeneration is irreversible and that the believer can have assurance of his own election and final perseverance, he does not conclude that the Christian has any cause for spiritual complacency. Persevering in God's grace requires, on the human side, "severe and arduous effort." …Calvin thus balances his theological certitudes with pastoral warnings. At the pastoral level, Calvin's position does not greatly differ from that of Luther's or the earlier Catholic tradition. The believer must continually exercise faith and obedience to make ‘his calling and election sure’.”
   In the final section of the article, entitled, “Perseverance In Recent Scholarship,” Davis says:
From the Calvinistic perspective the most comprehensive monograph in recent years was written by G. C. Berkouwer, who is concerned…that belief in perseverance not become a…mere logical conclusion deduced from a concept of divine predestination. Perseverance, stresses Berkouwer, ‘is realized…only through prayer and exhortation, through preaching and sacraments’. 
…in the plan of God certain ends (the final perseverance of the elect) are ordained only in conjunction with specific means: the faith and obedience of believers. [This] emphasis has considerable affinity with the Lutheran insistence on present living faith as the key to the believer's assurance.
   The indication from Davis’ study, then, is that among those who have written on the subject in church history there has been a consensus on the point that the warning passages should be preached to genuine believers as real warnings, regardless of whether one believes apostasy to be possible or impossible. I realize that the fact that it has been the dominant view does not prove it is true. Ultimately any doctrine is proved or disproved by Scripture. I point out this history because in many churches today, if someone preaches the warning passages of Scripture, and preaches them in the severe mood in which they are written, there is a good chance his sermon will be greeted by protest and even questions of orthodoxy.
 	Many simply write off the question of the possibility of apostasy as a difficulty that has been debated throughout history. If it has been disputed for 2000 years, it is argued, it must be impossible to figure out. The truth is, there has traditionally been a general consensus that warnings such as those in Hebrews or in Jn.15 are intended to warn real believers in a serious way.
	There has also been somewhat of a consensus regarding the question of security. Major spokesmen on both sides have affirmed the reality of the security of the believer. Arminius said “believers possess sufficient powers to fight against Satan, sin, the world and their own flesh so that those who call on Christ for help are preserved from falling." “Satan is not powerful enough to wrest the faithful believer from the hands of Christ.” 

Appendix 1

Heb 6:4-6 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6 and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.
 7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.
 9 Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case--things that accompany salvation. 10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
Context
	The purpose of the book of Hebrews appears to be to convince the readers not to turn away from faith in Christ. The writer gives two reasons not to turn away: (1) because Christ is superior to that to which they are considering turning, and (2) if they do turn they will receive severe judgment. Sprinkled between the various arguments for the superiority of Christ are the warnings about judgment. This section is one of the warnings.
Interpretation
	This section is made up of three parts: (1) a warning (it is impossible to restore to repentance those who were specially privileged and fell away), (2) an illustration (specially privileged land that produces thorns is worthless and is burned), and (3) encouragement (the writer is confident the readers will not fall).

Part One (vv.4-6)
	Verses 4-6 are a single sentence with a single point. It is impossible to restore this group to repentance because of the seriousness of what they have done. After having received tremendous spiritual privilege (enlightenment, the heavenly gift, partnership with the Spirit, the goodness of the word and miracles), they have fallen away. Any falling away is bad, but falling after having been given so much spiritual privilege is especially serious. It is tantamount to re-crucifying Christ! For that reason, they cannot be restored again to repentance. 

Part Two (vv.7,8)
	The purpose of this section is to illustrate the reasonableness of the preceding statement. The land, like the person in vv.4-6, receives that which it needs to produce fruit. Rain does not just land on it. The land drinks in the rain often falling. The land is given plenty of water, and it absorbs it. The natural result is to produce crops. Land that does so is blessed. Land that does not, however, is in danger of being cursed and will be burned. That which is given much but produces nothing will be destroyed.

Part Three (vv.9-12)
	This section is intended as a word of encouragement. The writer announces his confidence that the readers will heed his admonition. After having read the harsh warning, the reader may be fearful and think that perhaps he will not be able to endure even if he tries. The encouragement is that as long as they continue to do as they have been doing, they will never fall (v.11).

     The term translated “enlightened” never specifically refers to unbelievers. The writer of Hebrews uses the term only one other time (10:32). In that passage it is used of a group of people who have been sanctified by the blood of the covenant (v29), who are the Lord’s people (v 30), who, with regard to their property have better and lasting possessions (v 34), and who will be richly rewarded (v35). 
	And beyond the argument from the exact term is evidence from the concept. Throughout Scripture believers are pictured as being in the light and unbelievers as in the dark. Salvation is described as a transfer from darkness into light (Jn 12:46, Eph 5:8, I Pe 2:9), believers are called “children of light” (Lk 16:8, Jn 12:36, Eph 5:8, I Thes 5:5), and unbelievers are characterized by darkness (see references under the footnote on Jn 1:9 above). Certainly there is a contradiction in a theology which contains enlightened unbelievers who are darkened in their understanding (Eph 4:18) and whose minds are blinded by the god of this age (II Cor 4:4).
	I. Howard Marshall points out that these people have “once been enlightened.” Were the author speaking only of the academic comprehension of spiritual facts, the use of the word “once” would be peculiar. The term fits quite nicely, however, if it is intended to refer to the moment of conversion.
	As for the word translated “tasted” (geusamenous), it is used in Heb.2:9 of Christ tasting death for every man (clearly more than a mere sampling). Erich Tiedtke points out that “...the thought of tasting is not that of taking a sip...The amount consumed is not the point, but the fact of experiencing what is eaten.” Other uses of the word make this abundantly clear: Mt 16:28, Mk9:1, Lk 9:27, Jn 8:52, Acts 10:10, 20:11, 23:14.
	With regard to what the gift is, as stated earlier, some understand the gift to be the enlightenment. The identity of the gift, however, is not provided in the text. The writer takes it for granted that the readers know what the gift is. If the writer had said, “tasted of a heavenly gift, it could refer to any good thing (James 1:17). But by using the definite article (the) the writer is referring to something that was so obvious to the readers, that it required no explanation.
   The most natural understanding of the article in such a construction is “par excellence” (that is, the article that modifies the noun which is the epitome or the chief of its class). An example of the “par excellence” use of the article would be the Christian bumper sticker: “READ THE BOOK”. It is not necessary to explain which book, because people already know. What gift, then, could be considered the gift? The superlatives found in Scripture about heavenly gifts seem to refer to salvation. The “indescribable gift” of II Cor 9:15 refers to either Christ, grace, or salvation (all three of which would imply salvation in the context). The very well known verses (perhaps at that time as well) Ro 6:23 and Eph 2:8 identify the gift of God as eternal life and salvation. The most natural understanding of the phrase “tasted of the heavenly gift,” then, is “experienced salvation.”
	In the next phrase, “who have shared in the Holy Spirit,” the term in question is “shared” (metochous). It is true that metochous does not mean “to indwell,” however it is a bit stronger than mere association. In Heb.2:14 it is used of Jesus’ “sharing” in flesh and blood. Jesus did not just have an association with flesh and blood. He actually became flesh and blood. 
When it is used substantively (as it is here) this word means, “partner” or “companion.” Certainly the Holy Spirit is not a partner with unbelievers. II Cor 6:14,15 commands that we not be yoked with unbelievers, because, “What do righteousness and wickedness have in common (metochee)? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Balial?…” The rhetorical format is emphatic: None!
	This same word is used in Heb 3:14 to speak of partnership with Christ. We have come to share (metochoi) in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. All are in agreement that the partnership in that verse describes true salvation. The structure of Heb.3:14 is very similar to that of Heb.6:4

Heb.3:14 Metochoi tou Xristou gegonamen 
Heb 6:4 metochous geneethentas pneumatos hagiou 
Heb.3:14 (partners of Christ have become). 
Heb.6:4  (partners having become of the Holy Spirit).

	The fourth phase, “tasted of the goodness of the Word of God and the powers of the coming age,” is not particularly vital to the question of whether they people being discussed are saved. Most agree it is a reference to the fact that these people witnessed the miracles of the Apostles. Not only had these people been enlightened, experiencing the full effects of salvation, and not only did they have a relationship with the Holy Spirit Himself, but they had even seen the miracles that accompanied the New Testament revelation. Not only were these people Christians, but they were specially privileged Christians. For this reason it is not necessary to say that anyone who believes and falls away cannot be restored (at least this text does not demand it). All this text says is that restoration is impossible for this specific group of people who had fallen away. 
	In addition to the argument from the first three descriptions there is also evidence from the context that these are believers. Few would disagree that the point of the whole passage is that those who apostatize after receiving enormous spiritual privilege will receive enormous judgment. The effort to play down the meaning of the descriptions, then, goes against the whole point of the passage (since believers are more privileged than unbelievers).
	Further evidence of the fact that true believers are being discussed is in verse 6. It is impossible to renew them again to repentance. Lunemann correctly notes that palin (again) and anakainizein (renew) do not produce a repetition of the same idea. Anakainizein does not mean to do something a second time, rather it stresses the entering into a completely new state, or to make inwardly new. The word fits the idea of regeneration quite well. It is impossible to make these people inwardly new again. The language requires that they had been made inwardly new in the past. 
   If the word anakainizein alone did not prove their salvation, surely the fact that they were once repentant would. Those who repent are saved (Ez 18:21, Acts 2:38, 3:19, II Cor 7:10). The fact that if they were to be made new unto repentance it would not be the first time proves they had been made new unto repentance in the past, just as the fact that they fell away proves they had to be in a place from which they could fall. The term translated fall away (parapesontas) denotes an apostasy, that is, a falling away from the faith. 
The “still saved even after the falling away” view
   This view argues that just because the people discussed cannot be renewed to repentance does not mean they are unsaved. Yes, they were true believers who fell away, but they will still go to heaven. Support for this view is taken from the illustration in verses 7 and 8. It is noted that the land, when it is burned, is not consumed. In fact, the burning serves to improve the land. Farmers at that time would purposely burn their fields to rid them of unwanted growth (knowledge 796). The picture then, is that believers who have fallen away will receive the fiery judgment of I Cor 3:13-15. These apostates themselves will be saved, but their works will be burned on the day of Judgment.
	The picture painted by this passage, however, is hardly one of cleansing. It is the language of judgment. This land is worthless (adokimos). The definition of adokimos is, “not standing the test, worthless, disqualified, unfit, reprehensible” (DNTT 808-810). It is used in Ro 1:28 of God giving homosexuals over to a depraved (adokimon) mind, and in II Tim 3:8 and Tit 1:16 of false teachers who are among the most godless of men. II Cor 13:5 makes it clear that those who are adokimoi (there translated “fail the test”) do not have Christ in them.
	Furthermore, this land is about to receive a curse (kataras). If the point of the burning is purification, what is the point of the curse? Does God curse His saints?
	Even if the illustration could refer to believers in the I Cor 3 judgment, the problem of no restored repentance is not solved. Without repentance one cannot be saved. Jesus told His disciples that if they did not repent they would never enter the kingdom of heaven (Mt 18:3). Peter’s message in Acts was “Repent...so that your sins may be forgiven” (Acts 2:38, 3:19).
	Some who hold this view suggest that those who have fallen away actually can be made new again to repentance. This line of thinking takes one of three routes. Some define the word translated impossible (adunaton) as “difficult.” Some take the participle anastaurountos temporally (It is impossible... while they are crucifying...). Finally, some say that although it is impossible to make these people new again to repentance, it is only impossible for man. With God, however, all things are possible (Mt 19:26).
	With regard to the first line of reasoning, adunaton occurs 4 times in Hebrews: here, in 6:18 (it is impossible (adunaton) for God to lie), in 10:4 (it is impossible (adunaton) for the blood of bulls and goats to remove sins) and 11:6 (without faith it is impossible (adunaton) to please God). Clearly in these uses the writer means nothing but “absolutely impossible.” Furthermore, If the term was translated “difficult” the warning would have little meaning. Indeed, one wonders if the writer would say, “If someone is given enormous spiritual privilege, and he apostatizes - crucifying Christ all over again and subjecting Him to public disgrace, it would be difficult to make him new again to repentance.” What would be the point of such a remark? It is difficult to bring anyone to repentance.
	As for the participle, it is more likely that it is causal (because they are crucifying…) than temporal (while they are crucifying). If it were temporal it would mean, “As long as they are crucifying Christ they cannot repent (but they can repent if they stop crucifying Christ).” This is a self-contradictory statement. If they stop crucifying Christ they have turned from what they were doing, and turning from one’s sin is repentance. What this interpretation would actually be saying is, “As long as they do not repent they cannot repent, but when they repent, they can repent.” In my view this interpretation ought to be repented of!
	As for the third argument, to say that what the passage calls impossible is actually possible cannot be correct. It is pure eisogesis to read “for man” into the sentence. We are not at liberty to add phrases to the Bible to make it fit our theology. The text gives no indication whatsoever that there is an exception to the statement. Of course it is impossible for man to renew apostates again to repentance if God does not act, but it is impossible for man to bring anyone to repentance if God does not act. For that matter, it is impossible for man to do anything at all if God does not act.
	The view that the passage describes people who were saved even after the apostasy, then, is incorrect. 
The “Not Real People” View
  According to this view, the entire scenario is a hypothetical situation that could not possibly occur. The warning points out the folly of the view that a true Christian can fall away. Hewitt suggests it is saying that Christ would have to die a second time to renew such a person to repentance, and since it is “unthinkable” that Christ would die again, it is unthinkable that a believer could fall away (Epistle 111).
	There is no indication in the text that it is describing an impossible situation. On the contrary, it speaks as if it has already occurred. The translation, “...if they should fall away...” is incorrect. There is no “if” in the Greek. Furthermore, the grammatical structure of the last descriptive phrase is the same as the others: aorist substantial participles. Therefore they should be translated the same: “It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened ... have tasted ... shared ... tasted ... and have fallen away...”    
	In addition, the view that this section is a refutation of the Hebrews’ doctrine of apostasy is utterly foreign to the context of the book. Hebrews is a discussion of the superiority of Christ and the New Covenant with periodic warnings against falling away (2:1-4, 3:7-4:14, 6:4-8, 10:19-39). The view that these verses are a discussion of the readers’ opinions about whether or not a true believer can apostatize has nothing to do with the flow of the book. Besides, were this the writer’s intention, it would make no sense for him to describe such privileged believers. If he were trying to teach that a believer cannot fall away, the description would be one that fit any believer -- even the least privileged. As it is written, the text, in this view, would be saying, “To believe that enormously privileged believers can fall away is unthinkable.” This implies that not so privileged believers could fall away. 
	Others have taken this passage as a reductio ad abserdum argument (an argument that disproves a premise by showing how it would lead to an absurdity if it were true). 1 Co.15 is an example of such a tactic. The idea of no resurrection is disproved by showing that it would lead to the absurd idea that Jesus did not even rise. The difference, however, between 1 Co.15 and Heb.6 is the fact that Paul makes it very clear in 1 Co.15 that he believes resurrection is true. It is obvious that it is a reductio argument. There is nothing in the context of Hebrews, however, that would indicate that the writer believes falling to be impossible. On the contrary, the book is filled with warnings against falling.
Part Three (vv.9-12)
	It is often suggested that these verses are intended as a statement that apostasy is really impossible. Such would be an overstatement, however, of the writer’s confidence. Often when we give an admonition we say something like, ”I trust you will do the right thing.” Such a statement is not intended to imply that we believe it to be theologically impossible for the person to fail. Rather, the purpose of the statement is to encourage the person to follow the admonition. Paul uses the same word (peitho) in this way several times. In Ga.5:10 he says “I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view.” This is not to say it would be impossible for them to take the wrong view. The rest of the book makes it clear that there was a real possibility of the Galatians being deceived. Other examples are Php.1:25, 2:24, 2 Thes.3:4, and Phm.1:21.

Appendix 2
   The interpretation of this section is very much dependent on the preceding context. In 7:24 comes the question, “Who will rescue me from this body of death?” Chapter eight answers that question. The full redemption of the body is still future (8:18-21). This raises the question that is answered by our text: "Is the future the only thing there is to encourage us? Is there anything good about this intermediate time I am spending in the flesh?" Yes! Oh, it is true that during this time things are difficult enough to solicit a trio of groaning from creation, ourselves, and the Spirit (8:22,23,26), but we can rejoice knowing that all things work together for the good of those who are called (v.28)! 
   The rest of the verses in the chapter are explanation and corroboration for verse 28. Verse 29 reveals what the good is: conformity to Christ’s image. Scripture is clear that life's difficulties develop godly character. (Job 23:10, Ps.66:10, Pr.17:3, Isa.48:10, Ro.5:3,4, Jas.1:2-4, I Pe.1:6,7, 4:1,2).
Verse 29, then, clarifies verse 28. It is true that the present situation (waiting for bodily redemption) is cause to groan, but that should not bring despair, because the groaning itself is working for our good, that is, our transformation into Christ's image. The point of mentioning foreknowledge and predestination is to show that God has pre-arranged for believers to be conformed to Christ’s image. We should not despair over our present groaning, because God already has our verse 28 "good" (conformity to His image) planned out.
   Verse 29 describes the process of the conformity. These people that God predestined are called by God. That is, He draws them to Himself while they are still unregenerate. These people are then justified. Justification points primarily to the point of conversion. 
Not only are they each justified, but they have each been glorified as well. Those who are justified receive all the glories of being saved. 
It is my suggestion that this is not referring to the future glorification of our bodies as in 8:18-21. Rather it speaks of what has already happened to us as believers. Some care must be taken here to establish the validity of this statement, as it contradicts the traditional interpretation. 
First I will present three reasons why glorified, here, cannot refer to future glorification, I will offer an argument for why the glorification must refer to conformity to Christ's image. The three problems with the future glorification view are, it opposes the grammar, the context, and the logic of Paul's argument.
Grammar
   The terms "predestined," "called," "justified," and "glorified" are all in the aorist tense. The aorist tense most often denotes past time, although there is a use of the aorist that can refer to the future (proleptic). It would be quite awkward, however, to have a string of such closely related (grammatically) aorists, the first three being historical aorists and the last suddenly proleptic. 
In order to have a proleptic aorist, the future idea must be demanded by the context. This is not the case in Romans 8:30. In fact, just the opposite is true. Instead of the preceding clause providing a future context, it establishes a pattern of past tenses. "Those He predestined He also called, and those He called He also justified, and those He justified He also glorified." Each of the underlined terms is aorist. The first four are clearly historical aorist, and for the final aorist to break the pattern would be at best peculiar, but certainly not demanded by the context as in all other examples of proleptic aorists in the New Testament. 
No grammatical reason exists for classifying glorified (edoxasen) as a proleptic aorist. If anything the grammar is opposed to such a classification. The only motivation, then, for the interpreter to classify edoxasen as a proleptic is if glorification is something that we know for sure can only happen in the future. Indeed, one may argue that this is the case based on 8:18ff.
Context
   It is true that verses 18-25 speak of future glorification, the redemption of our bodies which will take place in heaven in the future. Those verses, however, do not make up the immediate context. By verse 28 the discussion has shifted from future things to the present.
   The flow of Paul's argument shifts as he addresses a new line of thought. Verses 18-25 are still answering the question "When will we be rescued from the flesh?" Verse 28 begins the answer to a new question: "What encouragement is there now?" Verse 30 is still answering this second question. The immediate context, therefore, has to do with the present, not the future.
Logic
The third argument for this view lies in the sense of the passage itself. Verse 28 states that everything works together for good for the called, the "good" being the process of the following verses. The end of the process is glorification. To say that all things (including trials) contribute to our glorification makes perfect sense if glorification refers to our being made more and more like Christ while we are on earth. This is the point of passages like James 1:2-4. On the other hand, if the glorification is the future redemption of our bodies, then verses 29 and 30 do not logically follow from verse 28. If a person goes through a difficult trial it can teach him patience (present glorification), but one is hard pressed to demonstrate how this contributes to the redemption of his physical body someday in heaven (future glorification).
   
If neither the context, nor the grammar, nor the logic of the passage call for the proleptic aorist, it may be asked, "Why is it interpreted as future by so many commentators?" The answer is that systematic theology has given the term "glorification" a strictly future meaning. It is a case of systematic theology coming before biblical theology. 
	To restrict the definition of this word to future bodily glorification, however, is a very incomplete understanding of the concept. There is a definite sense in which believers have already received glory in this life (Jn.17:22). Our spiritual glorification occurs when we are born again. At that point we are crucified with Christ, raised with Christ, seated with Him in the heavenly realms, cleansed, regenerated, set apart from sin, made heirs, etc. The glorification in heaven spoken of in verses 18 and following is physical. Certainly it is more likely that spiritual glorification is in view in light of the concepts of the rest of the verse (predestined, called, justified).
   Also, it seems a bit peculiar that sanctification would be left out of what is otherwise such a thorough description of our current state of salvation. Note the progression: foreknown - predestined - called - justified - glorified. If this glorification takes place after death, the entire Christian life is omitted! Such an omission would be in direct opposition to the purpose of the passage (to explain how all things that are going on now are working for good). As stated above, it is true that justification and sanctification are very closely related, but they are never equated. Glorification here (as in II Cor.3:18), then, most likely refers to present sanctification. 
	In fact, the passages are very similar:

II Cor.3:18 And we, who...all reflect the Lord's glory (doxa), are being transformed (metamorphoumetha) into His likeness (eikona) with an ever-increasing glory (doxa)." 

Ro.8:29 Those He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed (summorphous) to the likeness (eikonos) of His Son...And those He predestined...He also glorified (edoxasen).

In both cases glorification is simply the process of being transformed into His image.