The whole doctrine is really a cop-out. All the focus is put on what the "potential" believer is doing. Even being told to work out his own salvation.
You are confusing Eternal Security with your own perception of what it means.
When we "work out our own salvation" it is not salvific in context, it is related to the progressive sanctification process.
There is a difference in the "perfecting of the saints" (progressive) and being made perfect by One Sacrifice forever (positional).
You should know this, James.
I've heard MacArthur and the likes screaming that from the pulpit.
No, you haven't heard MacArthur "screaming" works-based salvation from the pulpit. I would suggest, whatever sermon you heard, you go back and listen to it again.
MacArthur has been a stanch defender of Sola Fide for years, standing against ecumenical movements that sought to join together, and in doing so, ignore the dramatic difference in our views concerning works.
But if YOU don't work it out, it's supposedly because God never began a good work in you (another scripture horribly butchered out of context - Phil 1:6)
And that is not his, or any other teacher who understands the difference between progressive and positional sanctification's view.
It cannot be denied that there are evidences that one is not saved. Christ taught this, and the Apostles taught this. The lack of evidence for salvation is the reason why we say that those who do not continue in the faith were never saved to begin with. It is a Biblical Doctrine, not an human one.
Without works all the way to the end, you are counted as a reprobate, false professor, and one who will be told Christ never knew you.
The focus is on works. The focus should be on faith. The elderly believer that stops going to Church, and stops ministering, because they are no longer physically able to...is a good example. No works are required on their part for their faith to still be in evidence. Hebrews gives a good example of those who were never saved, because they don't stop "going to church," but they withdraw from the purpose of going to Church, which is faith in Christ. That is what is in focus.
And all the Protestant Confessions plainly state that the end of your good works is eternal life.
Then find a Protestant to debate it with, lol.
So in one way, it depends on who teaches it, but depends more on whether they're faithful to the Protestant faith they claim to believe
Bingo. You just changed the focus of faith.
That is why you are confusing faith with works, and how each relate to Biblical teachings concerning the evidences of true faith versus a religious mindset, which, because that mindset believed salvation was of works..can stop evidencing faith.
Because it was never faith in Christ to begin with, it was faith in a religious vehicle they believed evidenced faith.
So when you distinguish between saving faith and the faith that grows in progressive sanctification, you will see, one is bestowed by God in the salvation of the individual, the other relates to our walk in the temporal.
There is quite a bit in Scripture that speaks to this, James. The concept uses imagery of good and bad trees, true and false wheat, and the underlying issue is that they...are seen together. There is a way to distinguish between genuine faith and that which is not. And one of the evidences that one's faith in Christ is genuine is that their faith continues. Usually when one has faith...there is fruit. But just like awe do not compare the fruit of a sapling with that of a mature tree, even so we do not expect babes to be producing fruit in the same manner. Christ spoke of pruning, that more fruit might be produced. We can also look at the effect of chastening...for our profit.
We don't separate faith from works in a progressive sanctification process, but, we do in the positional sanctification process. And those two have to be distinguished so that we do not, like some, end up with a view that denies Sola Fide. Our Eternal Security is based on Sola Fide, but, our relationship with Christ while we walk in this world is based on obedience. Would you admit that a Christian that is disobedient to the Lord will see his relationship with the Lord suffer> I can say from experience that this is true.
God bless.
