This doctrine is important because eternal security is linked to the assurance of salvation. These doctrines can be distinguished but not separated. If we don't know whether we will persevere how can we be sure of our salvation? If it were up to us none of us would make it.
Mentioning the phrase eternal security is a no-no to some Arminian believers because they say that those words are not in Scripture. True, but neither is trinity, Bible, deity of Christ, or Father-God, yet they use these terms. It should be pointed out that this is just semantics because "eternal salvation" and "eternal redemption" are mentioned in the Bible (Heb. 5:9, 9:12). Do you realize that eternal life is a gift that is possessed in time, and eternity? John 5:24 says, "...Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life." Logically, if you have eternal life right now, how can it be temporary or end? We are not saved on probation, but permanently. Hebrews 7:25 reads, "He is able to save forever [completely] those who come to God....
God never disinherits us, and like the analogy of a child to a family, we are in God's family by adoption and that is an everlasting arrangement. Our salvation cannot be forfeited by our bad behavior, because God disciplines His own and if we sin unto death He takes us home, rather than be condemned. True, there are some whose faith is spurious from the beginning, whose seed never took root; they will fall away and leave as it is written and apostatize--their departure manifests their true condition. 1 John 2:19 says, "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us." There are spiritual dropouts but true faith endures.
The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints says that we will endure to the end because of God's power to hold us (1 Pet. 1:5 says we are kept by God's power). If we were left to our own strength none of us would endure or persevere. Preservation is a better word than perseverance because God gets the credit and glory.
Looking at the analogies: We cannot be "un-born," "un-adopted," or "un-justified." God doesn't renege on his divine promise as the Supreme Promise Keeper who gave the Holy Spirit as the earnest of our inheritance. Contrary to Romanist doctrine we have continuity in the state of grace and there are no egregious or heinous sins that require penance to get back to the state of grace. If we do sin we have an Advocate, Jesus Christ the Righteous (1 John 2:1; Heb. 7:25). No matter what sin we commit, Jesus intercedes for us. Finally, Rom. 8:30 says it best, "And those whom he called He also justified." This means God loses no one. NO ONE IS LOST IN THE SHUFFLE OF THE GOLDEN CHAIN OF REDEMPTION. Soli Deo Gloria!
Mentioning the phrase eternal security is a no-no to some Arminian believers because they say that those words are not in Scripture. True, but neither is trinity, Bible, deity of Christ, or Father-God, yet they use these terms. It should be pointed out that this is just semantics because "eternal salvation" and "eternal redemption" are mentioned in the Bible (Heb. 5:9, 9:12). Do you realize that eternal life is a gift that is possessed in time, and eternity? John 5:24 says, "...Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life." Logically, if you have eternal life right now, how can it be temporary or end? We are not saved on probation, but permanently. Hebrews 7:25 reads, "He is able to save forever [completely] those who come to God....
God never disinherits us, and like the analogy of a child to a family, we are in God's family by adoption and that is an everlasting arrangement. Our salvation cannot be forfeited by our bad behavior, because God disciplines His own and if we sin unto death He takes us home, rather than be condemned. True, there are some whose faith is spurious from the beginning, whose seed never took root; they will fall away and leave as it is written and apostatize--their departure manifests their true condition. 1 John 2:19 says, "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us." There are spiritual dropouts but true faith endures.
The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints says that we will endure to the end because of God's power to hold us (1 Pet. 1:5 says we are kept by God's power). If we were left to our own strength none of us would endure or persevere. Preservation is a better word than perseverance because God gets the credit and glory.
Looking at the analogies: We cannot be "un-born," "un-adopted," or "un-justified." God doesn't renege on his divine promise as the Supreme Promise Keeper who gave the Holy Spirit as the earnest of our inheritance. Contrary to Romanist doctrine we have continuity in the state of grace and there are no egregious or heinous sins that require penance to get back to the state of grace. If we do sin we have an Advocate, Jesus Christ the Righteous (1 John 2:1; Heb. 7:25). No matter what sin we commit, Jesus intercedes for us. Finally, Rom. 8:30 says it best, "And those whom he called He also justified." This means God loses no one. NO ONE IS LOST IN THE SHUFFLE OF THE GOLDEN CHAIN OF REDEMPTION. Soli Deo Gloria!