TP,
I have to agree with Priscilla Ann that there is no need for a Purgatory, only for the blood of Jesus. How did that doctrine originate in the RCC?
As to the doctrine of once saved, always saved, like you I do not see much “security” in the doctrine of “eternal security”. In fact, I sometimes refer to it as the doctrine of “eternal insecurity”. Why? Virtually every proponent of the doctrine acknowledges that there are those who by all appearances and by their own testimony have been believers, yet quit practicing their faith and live for the remainder of their lives in rebellion against Christ. In order to explain these many cases, an argument is made that such ones merely appeared to be saved, but actually weren’t. Even Calvin talked about this in his Institutes(3:2:11-12).
“…experience shows that the reprobate are sometimes affected in a way so similar to the elect that, even in their own judgment, there is no difference between them. …In the elect alone He implants the living root of faith so that they persevere even to the end. Thus we dispose of the objection that if God truly displays his grace, it must endure for ever. There is nothing inconsistent in this with the fact of his enlightening some with a present sense of grace, which afterwards proves evanescent.”
So some may appear to be saved and they believe themselves to be saved, yet they are not among the elect. They have been enlightened “with a present sense of grace” which proves to be temporary. They actually have been marked beforehand for destruction, but God gives them a sense of grace.
Now, where is the security in that? How can one know whether he is elect, or whether he merely has been given by God a “present sense of grace”, thus believing that he is elect, yet he is reprobate, never was saved, and will be lost? Does one go by subjective feeling? Others have felt they were saved, yet have proven themselves not to be saved (continuing in that way of thinking.) So how can one know? Thus it is a doctrine of insecurity. By that way of thinking, only God knows if you are saved or not. Thus, it is the doctrine of “Eternal Insecurity”.
In fact, I remember discussing this teaching with one of my seminary professors. I was surprised at how emotional and visibly agitated he became as I sat there, a wet-behind-the-ears first year seminary student, and presented passages calling that doctrine into question. My professor squirmed at the topic, I believe, because there is no way for one holding the doctrine to know he is saved other than a subjective feeling – the same subjective feeling that others had, who proved not to have been saved, by that way of thinking.
I, on the other hand, do not have to wonder whether my faith is just an illusion or not. I don’t have to worry about whether I am saved or whether I just think I’m saved. Jesus “is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2) God loved each and every person, including me, and sent His Son to take my place and bear my penalty. I have accepted the gift. I have put my faith in Him, confessed Him as Lord, buried my old man in the water, and been joined to Him as His disciple. Sometimes I am strong. Other times I stumble and bumble along. When I sin, it hurts; but I do not despair. Jesus loves me. I just keep going. I confess my sin. I keep on trusting in His sacrifice. I keep on trusting in his grace and power to transform me. God will not reject me any more than a good father would reject a loving, submissive child. Just as you, dear reader, would not reject your child because of immaturity or weakness, so are we accepted in Jesus in spite of our weakness and immaturity. We are not saved by our own perfection. We are saved by a relationship with the Perfect One. There is security in that!
1 John 1:5-9 says:
5 And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
I believe in security for the believer. It is conditional security. That condition is not perfection, nor is it a given level of achievement, nor is it a certain degree of sinlessness, but it is an abiding, obedient, faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior that has us following Jesus, albeit imperfectly. John says, “…if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” Continual cleansing from sin comes as we walk in the light, not in the darkness.
In Him,
Bob
