CAN A BELIEVER LOSE THEIR SALVATION DUE TO IGNORANCE AND MORAL COMPLACENCY?
By Ezekiel Kimosop
Can a person who has professed his saving knowledge of Christ fall away from the faith into sin and rebellion and never return to the faith? Can a believer forfeit their eternal security in Christ by reason of wilful disobedience or ignorance?
INTRODUCTION
First, allow me to dispel the ignorance myth. No matter how immature a believer is, the Holy Spirit guides their conscience and the fear of God in them will begin to manifest in their conduct and circumspect.
We shall briefly describe some key features that mark out the spiritual status of believers in a Christian congregation.
SPIRITUAL BABES
In any Christian congregation, there are believers of various categories just as happens in a household which consists of members under various stages of maturity.
We have the newly converted believers or spiritual babies who are yet to fully undergo instruction in the basics of the faith.
Spiritual babes may not have received effective Biblical instruction and will obviously err here and there but with dedicated discipleship and instruction in Scripture, this class of believers will definitely grow in faith into maturity over time.
In 1 Corinthians 3:1-4, Paul described the Corinthian believers as immature, not worthy of meat or solid food [a metaphorical reference to deeper spiritual truths] but milk [a reference to basic or elementary teachings of the faith]. Paul's assessment was based on their unbecoming conduct and pride.
Scripture reveals that the Holy Spirit guides and teaches believers, conveying the mind of God to them.
John 14:16-18 says "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you."
SPIRITUAL NOVICES
The second category consists of those who have significantly advanced in discipleship training but are not yet sufficiently mature for ministry duties.
This group consists of what the Bible describes as novices in 1 Timothy 3:6. They are easily puffed up with pride and are unable to handle leadership roles.
This group of believers requires to serve under the mentorship of mature believers, preferably church elders or mature Christian women, who will observe them over a period of time before they are approved.
Biblical instruction is critical for the development of a Christian congregation. This assurance is given in Ephesians 4:11-14.
MATURE BELIEVERS
This is the senior most category in a Christian congregation. A mature believer is one who exhibits spiritual stability and consistency in their moral and spiritual conduct. Their grasp of Biblical truths is finer than that of the novices. They are tested and proven in many areas of life and have a good report from within and without. Mature believers have learned to submit to Christ in humility in every situation of their lives, even in the most unpleasant of circumstances.
I must however caution that mature believers are not perfect in their faith and practice. They too are still growing and must regularly feed on God's word and be open to spiritual correction in truth.
This category provides a pool of believers who can be assigned critical leadership oversight roles in the congregation. They can serve as elders, deacons and group leaders. They can also be assigned church planting and missionary duties.
CAN A BELIEVER FALL AWAY FROM THE FAITH?
Now back to our main question....
Are there circumstances contemplated in the Bible under which a believer may fall away and forfeit their salvation?
Someone may argue that a person who walks away from the faith was not a true follower of Jesus Christ in the first place. I have heard this statement mentioned a couple of times in Reformed forums. This statement is grossly judgmental.
Another would perhaps say that it is unfair to judge people by their present circumstances because we cannot tell their future. They may return to God later in life.
There are three major schools of thought that can be identified in relation to this question.
We shall consider them in turns below:
CALVINISTIC - OSAS DOCTRINE
The first school of thought says that believers can never lose their faith no matter what happens. They say that once a believer is receives Christ, their names are written in the Book of Life and will never be erased.
This view is identified with the OSAS acronym that stands for "once saved always saved". It is commonly associated with Calvinism or Reformed tradition who reject the notion that a believer can fall away from the faith.
The theology held by Calvinists can be traced to the teachings of French lawyer and theologian John Calvin (1509 - 1564) and German Catholic priest and theologian Martin Luther (1483 - 1546), both of who are associated with the Reformation movement.
Among the popular texts cited by this group in connection with eternal security of believers are John 6:44, 11:25-26 and Ephesians 4:30.
John 6:44 says "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day."
John 11:25-26 says "... “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
Ephesians 4:30 says "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."
The three Scripture texts appear to speak to the eternal security or assurance of the believer in Christ. They suggest that the believer can never lose their faith.
Is this doctrine holistically affirmed in Scripture? We shall return to examine this question in greater detail later in the article.
ARMINIAN DOCTRINE
The second school advanced by Arminians states that a believer can knowingly and willfully walk away from the faith and accordingly lose his salvation. According to this school, the backslider must therefore "return back" to the faith and resume his life of obedience, if he will ever expect eternal assurance.
Arminians cite a number of Scripture texts such as Hebrews 10:26-27 that says "For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries."
Another key text identified with this perspective is Matthew 24:13 and Mark 13:13, both of which teach that the believer who endures to the end shall be saved.
Arminian theology teaches that the believer must persevere in the faith and watch lest they fall away from the path of truth. They reject the OSAS doctrine, saying that it is inconsistent with the revelation of Scripture.
This doctrine is primarily associated with the Arminian theological perspective held by Methodist/Wesleyan traditions. The group is an offshoot of Calvinism that rejected the Calvinistic Reformed doctrine on the eternal security of the believer. They also dispute some of the key teachings of Calvinism.
Arminians are theological followers of the Dutch theologian Jacob Hermanzoon (1560 - 1609) who is popularly identified with the Latinized name Jacobus Arminius.
MIDDLE GROUND DOCTRINE
The third category prefer a middle ground position. This school says that it is impossible to tell a person's eternal destiny because God alone knows the future. Their premise is that one may fall away from the faith and still return to God later in life, even on his deathbed. They therefore reject the two "extreme" positions examined earlier.
They cite the example of Solomon who fell away to idolatry and later returned to God and wrote the Book of Ecclesiastes. They also point to the Parable of the Prodigal Son as evidence that those who are given to moral depravity but were previously faithful to God may return to God when they come to their senses.
It is however important to remember that a person who willfully walks away from the faith may not be guaranteed a window for their return. They may perish in their rebellion. We should therefore never take the things of God for granted. Remember that Ananias and Sapphira perished in their disobedience under God's judgment [Acts 5:1-11).
Jesus spoke to the church of Sardis , saying "You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels." (Revelation 3:4-5).
CONCLUSION
It is important for students of the Bible to submit to a balanced view of the teaching of Scripture and to reconcile any doctrines with what the Bible teaches in context. It is however instructive that that each school of thought noted above has its set of Scripture passages on which their doctrines stand. We should evaluate the Biblical faithfulness of the arguments advanced by the groups.
My view is that while each of the three positions have their notable flaws, they have their merits as well. For instance, without the divine security of the faith, believers would experience uncertainty in their journey of faith. I believe that God is faithful in preserving those who come to faith in Christ. On the other hand, a believer who neglects their faith risks falling into sinful depravity.
The Bible warns believers that they should work out their salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). This is a confirmation that there are clear consequences for willful disobedience.
No matter what doctrinal persuasions one subscribes to, we need to remember that salvation is God's gift to us in Christ by His grace. It is not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Several parables taught by Jesus reveal that spiritual laxity is perilous and can cost one their faith. For instance, the parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins recorded in Matthew 25:1-13 conveys a clear warning to the body of Christ that spiritual negligence can have far reaching consequences.
Notice the closing statement in Matthew 25:11-13: "Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."
Whereas we have the assurance of God's preserving grace, the truth is that there is a distinct role that the believer must play in the exercise of spiritual prudence in their faith and practice. This is contemplated in Scripture. It cannot be overlooked. Moral complacency is perilous.
Allow me to conclude with the words of Jesus in Luke 17:26-27: "And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all."
